The Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) has set a target of nine gold medals for the 2025 edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), to be held in Andorra. This was announced by Charlene Attard, Director of Sport at the MOC, during a press briefing in Andorra la Vella.
Attard highlighted that Malta’s best-ever performance at the GSSE on foreign soil dates back to the 2011 edition in Liechtenstein, where the country secured a total of 8 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze medals.
The press briefing was also addressed by Maria Vella Galea, Director of Communications; Daniel Tanti Farrugia, Chef de Mission; and Joanna Cassar, Director of Finance. Several Maltese media representatives are currently in Andorra covering the 20th edition of the Games.
Attard provided detailed insights into the MOC’s medal projections for various sports. When asked specifically about athletics, she expressed strong confidence in Athletics Malta’s contingent, stating that the team is particularly strong this year.
With regard to cycling, Attard noted high expectations for strong performances, especially from the Pratt sisters, with Jessica Pratt focusing on the time trial event. On the men’s side, Malta’s hopes are pinned on Aiden Buttigieg. As for the mountain biking category, Attard explained that Mark Bonnici was a last-minute addition to the team, replacing Stefan Scerri, who had to withdraw due to personal reasons.
Updates were also shared on Basketball 3×3 and Rugby 7s. Malta aims to at least reach the semi-finals in the men’s Rugby 7s tournament and compete for a medal. However, the men’s Basketball 3×3 event faced an unexpected change in the schedule when Monaco withdrew, leaving only three teams—Malta, Andorra, and Cyprus. As a result, only gold and silver medals will be awarded in this event.
Chef de Mission Daniel Tanti Farrugia confirmed that out of the 108 Maltese registered athletes, only two—both Rugby 7s players—had yet to arrive in Andorra, but were expected to join Team Malta later that evening. He also noted that the first technical meetings, including those for karate and shooting, were held that morning to finalize competition procedures.
The Maltese contingent comprises of 108 athletes and 54 officials, including medical, support staff and MOC officials. The games will be streamed live on ANOC.tv and highlights will be broadcast on PBS’s sports channel, TVMSport+.
In closing, Maria Vella Galea urged the Maltese public to rally behind Team Malta and avoid unnecessary controversy. She emphasized that the GSSE should remain a politically neutral event focused solely on sport and unity.
