A group of young athletes from the Malta Weightlifting Association made their mark at the Soroksar Cup organized in Budapest, Hungary. All Maltese lifters managed to win their respective categories in a fierce competition that saw the participation of 14 countries.
Nathan Mifsud led the charge in the Men’s Youth Categories. Apart from winning his weight category, he also secured victories in both the U-15 and U-17 Age Groups out of 14 athletes, at just 14 years of age. Following his stellar performance at the Small Nations Championships a few weeks earlier, he delivered another incredible performance by successfully lifting all 6 lifts, totaling 70kg in the Snatch, 88kg in the Clean & Jerk, and 158kg in the Total. He broke numerous personal bests and national records along the way. With this performance, Mifsud has qualified to compete in the U-15 European Championships being held in Greece this June.
The standout performance in the Women’s Youth Category came from Kaya Curmi Inguanez, who won the U-17 Age Group. She successfully lifted 56kg in the Snatch and achieved a personal best of 72kg in the Clean & Jerk, for a total of 196 points. Following her on the podium was another Maltese athlete, Aaliyah Gatt, who also had a commendable performance by lifting a personal best of 61kg in the Snatch and 79kg in the Clean & Jerk, totaling 190 points. Both athletes also won their respective weight categories.
Another notable performance came from the youngsters Mattias Mifsud and Gabriele Frendo, who competed in the Boys U-12 Category. Both Mifsud and Frendo had flawless competitions, lifting all 6 lifts and achieving several personal bests and podium spots out of 33 athletes. Eleven-year-old Mattias finished in second place behind the athlete from the Czech Republic, lifting 27kg in the Snatch and 35kg in the Clean & Jerk, both personal best lifts, totaling 170 points. Frendo finished in third place with 165 points, lifting 39kg in the Snatch and 49kg in the Clean & Jerk, also achieving a number of personal best lifts.
Other outstanding results came from Rheanna Briffa, Mariah Bugeja, and Mariah Grima respectively, as they also managed to top their weight categories. Briffa lifted 53kg in the Snatch and 74kg in the Clean & Jerk. Mariah Bugeja lifted 60kg in the Snatch and 76kg in the Clean & Jerk. Mariah Grima lifted 48kg in the Snatch and 64kg in the Clean & Jerk.
Luke Treeby Ward delivered another positive performance, topping the Men’s Junior U20 96kg Category by lifting 96kg in the Snatch and 107kg in the Clean & Jerk.
This success has been made possible thanks to the constant support of Sport Malta and the Maltese Olympic Committee.

