Maltese athletes delivered a series of solid performances at the ISSF World Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus, where they competed in the highly contested Shotgun Individual Events for Skeet and Trap disciplines.
Leading the Maltese contingent in the Skeet Men category was Marlon Attard, who produced a commendable score of 120 out of 125, finishing 23rd overall among a field of 109 top-tier international competitors. He was closely followed by Liam Sciberras, who recorded 118/125, and Andre Cassar, who impressed with 117/125, marking a strong outing for Team Malta in this discipline.
In the Trap Men event, Gianluca Chetcuti posted the top Maltese result with 116/125, earning him a 44th-place finish in a highly competitive lineup of 117 shooters. Ryan Bugeja followed with 115/125, while James Galea registered a score of 111/125. Newcomer Shazen Grech, competing for Ranking Points Only (RPO), completed his debut with a respectable 104/125.
Team Malta also fielded three junior athletes, with Cassar and Bugeja both achieving the Malta Shooting Sport Federation’s Minimum Qualifying Scores (MQS) for junior shooters. Grech’s participation, though outside MQS, marked an important first step on the international stage, providing him valuable experience in a ranking points event.
The event also featured world-class performances from international competitors. Italy’s Elia Sdruccioli claimed victory in the Skeet Men event after a qualification round score of 123/125 followed by a 55/60 showing in the finals. In the Trap Men final, Spain’s Manuel Murcia took gold with 123/125 and 44/50 in the final round, underlining the elite standard of the competition.
Malta’s athletes were guided by an experienced support team. Bruno Gubellini served as coach and John Mary Bugeja as team official in Skeet, while Antonello Iezzi and Robert Farrugia undertook coaching and official roles in the Trap discipline.
Looking ahead, Team Malta will continue its international campaign with the upcoming ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany, scheduled from 19 to 27 May 2025, where the country’s promising junior shooters will seek to build on their progress and gain further international exposure.
