Malta’s blackball teams have enjoyed a strong and confident opening day at the 2026 Nations Cup in Gibraltar, with all men’s teams recording victories and making an early impact in the standings.
The Men’s A team produced two excellent performances, first securing a comfortable 19–6 win over Catalonia before edging a tense battle against Spain A 13–12. The narrow win against Spain showed their resilience in a closely fought contest.
The Men’s B team also got off to a flying start. They defeated Mauritius B 16–9 and continued their good form with wins over Gibraltar B1 (14–11) and Gibraltar B2 (20–5), showing consistency across all matches.
In the Under-23 category, Malta delivered another strong display with a convincing 19–6 win over Wales B1, highlighting the depth of young talent within the squad.
The senior teams also impressed, both recording identical 19–6 victories against South Africa A and Belgium A, underlining Malta’s dominance across multiple divisions.
In the individual competition, Malta secured a series of strong results throughout the day. There were wins for players including Steve Muscat (5–1), Wayne Pace (5–0), Glenn Axiaq (5–0), Liam Mifsud (5–3), Luke Said (5–0), Miguel Amato (5–0), Paul Marrubi (5–1) and others. The only defeat came for Cameron Armstrong, who lost a close match 3–5.
Overall, it was a very positive day for Malta, with strong teamwork and consistent performances across all categories.
The second day of action continues today, with Malta facing tough fixtures against Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Mexico and Wales across different divisions and time slots.
