Day: July 11, 2024

Bugeja to join Depiro after Mellieha departure

New Depiro coach Sasha Dimitrijevic will begin his stint at the club with a well-sought-after boost as former Mellieha Libertas and Hibernians guard David Bugeja is set to become a new Depiro player, sources have told Malta Basketball. 

Bugeja had led Libertas for the past few years but with the Northern club opting against participating in the BOV Division One this coming season, numerous players became free agents and Depiro have swooped in to secure the signature of the Malta captain.

Last season, Bugeja was Mellieha’s driving force on the court as a starter in every game he played, acting as coach Ian Terribile’s extension at most times. He averaged 10.7 points a game across all competitions with shooting numbers close to 50% as he led the team to the finals of the John Tabone Shield and the league after the Super Cup. 

Following that, Bugeja was part of the Malta national team for the Fiba European Small Countries Championship in Andorra. There, Bugeja continued his strong form to start each game under coach Duncan Fenech and average 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. 

Depiro will be hoping such a signing propels them to further improvements this coming season after making the playoffs last season as the fourth seed under coach Ruben Baldacchino. While Bugeja and Mellieha qualified for the finals with a clean sweep over Athleta, Depiro suffered a sweep themselves at the hands of eventual champions Starlites. 

With a new coach and the signing of Bugeja, one will be looking forward to observing what change this will provide for the Mtarfa club.

Starlites set for historic attempt at FIBA Europe Cup qualifiers

Malta champions Starlites will attempt to make history this summer as last season’s quadruple winners try their luck in the 2024 FIBA Europe Cup qualifiers in July.

After winning every trophy available within the local basketball sphere, the Naxxar-based club is now taking the next step in becoming Malta’s representative in Europe. This feat makes them the first Maltese team to expand their horizons since Luxol around 35 years ago.

29 different clubs from 19 different countries have shown interest in playing in FIBA’s second-tier club competition, below the Basketball Champions League, and 15 of these teams have already made it to the Regular Season. A further 18 teams will join after falling from the Champions League Qualification rounds, together with other qualifiers to complete a list of 40. 

Starlites, who will start their adventure in the qualifying round from September 24 to 27, will be awaiting their opponent in a draw held on July 19 in Munich, Germany.

They will then face their respective opponent in a home and away setting, with naturally the home fixture to be played at Ta’ Qali. This is of course a welcomed change from previous years when qualifiers would be played in one city.

As an unseeded team in the round, they may be facing the likes of Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, Bilbao Basket of Spain, French team JDA Bourgogne Dijon, Alba Fehervar from Hungary, BC Peja from Hungary, Portugal’s Sporting CP, and Ukrainian side BC Dnipro.

Were Starlites to progress, this would be a new chapter in Maltese basketball’s history books since the attempts made by Luxol, Hibernians and Athleta.