The Malta Judo Federation deeply regrets to announce that two of its top athletes, James Zahra and Katryna Esposito, will not be competing in the upcoming Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) in Andorra—a first in GSSE history where Malta will have no judo representation.
Both judokas were expected to be strong medal contenders. Zahra, ranked 73rd globally in the -60 kg category (out of 463 athletes), and Esposito, ranked 77th in the -48 kg category(out of 276), had recently brought pride to Malta by winning gold medals at the European Small Nations Championships in Cyprus last November. Zahra followed this with a stunning 12-second victory over the UAE champion to clinch bronze at the World Judo Tour in Perth, while Esposito secured a silver medal in Algiers and previously made history with Malta’s only bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
However, due to irregular last-minute changes during the GSSE technical meeting, their categories were abruptly cancelled, despite meeting all participation criteria at the official entry stage. While most sports at the GSSE permit two athletes per category, judo is restricted to nine athletes across seven weight classes, with a requirement of at least five athletes from three countries per category.
Initially, both the -48kg and -60kg categories had valid entries from multiple nations. But during the final technical meeting, errors were discovered in two National Olympic Committees’ (NOC) submissions. Despite the official entry deadline having passed, GSSE officials allowed on-the-spot corrections, giving those NOCs the choice of which athletes to remove to comply with entry limits. In a regrettable turn, they opted to remove the entries in Zahra’s and Esposito’s categories, resulting in the complete cancellation of their respective categories.
The Malta Judo Federation strongly believes that categories validated at the start of the technical meeting should have been protected. Unfortunately, the decision was upheld, denying two of Malta’s elite athletes the opportunity to compete on a prominent international stage.
Despite this setback, Zahra and Esposito have received official confirmation from the International Judo Federation of their qualification for the prestigious World Championships – a testament to their ranking within the top 100 athletes globally. Remaining resolute, they are now shifting their focus to Budapest this June, where they will once again represent Malta with pride and determination.
Meanwhile, Malta’s young and promising judo team, under the guidance of Italian Coach Francesco Aiello, continues to gain ground internationally. The Malta Judo Federation remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting its athletes and promoting excellence in judo across all levels.
