Day four of the Games of the Small States of Europe proved to be a mixed affair for Team Malta, with moments of celebration tempered by some hard-fought defeats. The standout performance of the day came from the men’s table tennis doubles, where the Maltese duo secured a well-deserved gold medal, the nation’s highlight.
Alongside this golden triumph, Malta added four more medals to its tally: two silver and two bronze.
In tennis, Francesca Curmi and Elaine Genovese earned a silver medal in the women’s doubles. They were beaten 6-2, 6-4 in the final by Luxembourg’s Eleonora Molinaro Simon and Marie Weckerle, after progressing with a commanding straight-sets victory over Andorra in the semi-final.
A similar outcome unfolded in the women’s table tennis team event, where Renata Strbikova and Maria-Carmelia Iacob also took silver following a valiant effort against Luxembourg. Strbikova lost 3-1 to Sarah De Nutte in the opening singles match, while the Maltese pair led 2-1 in the doubles before Luxembourg rallied to win the final two games. Iacob was later forced to retire from her singles match due to a hand injury, resulting in a 3-1 overall victory for Luxembourg.
Bronze medals came courtesy of the tennis singles competitions. Alex Degabriele reached the semi-finals in the men’s draw, where he was defeated by Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, while Curmi secured her second medal of the day after a narrow 2-1 semi-final loss to another Luxembourg opponent in the women’s singles. Following that she had to be given medical assistance due to illness.
In artistic swimming, Malta celebrated further success as Zea Montfort and Ana Culic earned silver and bronze respectively, finishing behind Jasmine Verbena from San Marino.
Though not the most medal-rich day for Malta, the team’s resilience and competitive spirit remained evident, with hopes for more podium finishes in the days ahead.
