Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1013924
31 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 AUGUST 2018 SPORTS SAILING Santa Marija Round Gozo Cruise WILFRED SULTANA THE Malta Cruising Club are this year planning a more leisurely Round Gozo Cruise for the Santa Marija week, rather than the usual round Malta itinerary. The proposed programme sets off on Tuesday 14th August with depar- ture from different home pontoons to Mellieha, stopping to swim on anchor at Mellieha Slugs Bay – after lunch the boats proceed to Ramla l- Hamra in Gozo where they have din- ner on anchor and overnight stay. On the morning of Wednesday 15th the fleet departs northbound from Ramla I-Hamra past Dimitri Point and then towards Dwejra with a stop there for lunch if space per- mits. In the afternoon the cruise pro- ceeds round Gozo to Xatt l-Ahmar. Here the boats anchor for dinner and overnight stay on anchor. After breakfast on Thursday 16th, the last day of the cruise, the fleet departs from Xatt l-Ahmar toward Golden Bay where they stop for lunch on anchor. In the afternoon, all proceed back through the south Comino Channel to return to their home berths by sunset. The leading boat for this cruise will be m/y Miss Sophie skippered by Michael Mifsud while the Malta Cruising Club shall be monitoring the weather conditions of the com- ing days especially for the entire three days of cruise to ensure that all chosen locations will be suitable for boats to anchor out for the night. More information from the Club's website. FOOTBALL Maria Coppola publishes book about football career Pique says he will not be returning to Spain team MARIA Coppola, one of Malta's top female coaches has published a book about her very successful football career that started in 1992 up to 2012. Maria not only played locally but also made a name for herself abroad as she played in the USA for over five years as well as in France. In 2001 Maria was also se- lected to play for the Malta National Team. Coppola lost an opportunity to play for Paris St. Germain in 2005 after she had to battle meningitis. This kept her out of the game for a while but as her health improved she played for Mgarr during 2011/2012 when she man- aged to win the league title with them. After her retirement as a player, Maria immediately turned to coaching. Find out more about Maria Coppola's fantastic career in her book "My career as a football player featuring the start of women's football in Malta". The book can be purchased from all Agenda outlets in Malta and Gozo. BARCELONA defender Gerard Pique has confirmed he will not play again for the Spanish national team despite his former Barca coach Luis Enrique being appointed as coach. Pique declared his intention to quit international football after the 2018 World Cup fol- lowing a World Cup qualifier against Albania in October 2016, saying he was tired of repeated criticism from sup- porters and the media, and that he wished "to be left in peace". The outspoken Barcelona- born defender has never enjoyed the same rapport with Spain supporters as his inter- national team mates, and he has often been booed at games due to his repeated jibes at Real Madrid and his support for a referendum on Catalan independence. Pique, 31, did not confirm his departure immediately after Spain were eliminated by hosts Russia in the last 16 of the World Cup, but he said he had already told Luis Enrique — who succeeded Julen Lopetegui last month as national team coach — that he would not be returning to the set-up. "I spoke to Luis Enrique a few days ago. He called me and I told him the decision was taken a long time ago and that I had thought about it carefully," the defender told a news conference yesterday ahead of today's Spanish Su- per Cup game against Sevilla. "It was a beautiful time with the national team in which I had the chance to win the World Cup and the European Championship. Now I want to focus on Barca," he said. "I have a few years left here and I'm going to enjoy them a lot." Pique played 102 times for Spain and represented his country at two European Championships and three World Cups, helping his country win their only world crown in 2010 and triumphing at Euro 2012 two years later.