ITL’s rising Taekwondo talents, Michela Scerri and Alycia Cassar, delivered strong performances at the E3 Grand Prix Qualifying Tournament held in Vršac, Serbia, both securing impressive fifth-place finishes in their respective categories.
Competing across the weekend of 21–22 June, the Maltese juniors represented the International Taekwondo League (ITL) with distinction. Michela Scerri took to the mat in the -44kg female category on Saturday, while Alycia Cassar fought in the -63kg division on Sunday.
Scerri opened her campaign with a dominant win over a Greek opponent in the round of eight, finishing the match inside the first round with a commanding point gap. She followed that with two solid rounds, securing her progression to the quarter-finals. There, she met Elissa Decelis of the UK in what proved to be a tightly contested bout. Despite a brave and technically sharp performance, Scerri narrowly lost out, ending her run just short of the semi-finals.
Alycia Cassar entered the tournament the following day and started strong with a clinical victory over a Bosnian opponent, also winning by point gap, a testament to her technical superiority. Her path to the semi-finals, however, was halted by the group’s top seed, another competitor from Bosnia, who edged out the Maltese fighter after two hard-fought rounds.
Both athletes closed the tournament ranked fifth overall, adding valuable international ranking points to their growing profiles. The results reflect their continued progress on the European stage and reinforce ITL’s role in developing elite Taekwondo talent.
Scerri and Cassar now return to Malta to continue preparations for two major summer tournaments. First, they will compete at the Solidarity Games in Montargis, France, in July. They will then represent Malta at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, Macedonia.
