Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/937440
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2018 Sport 20 SPORTTODAY SAILING DARTS International Clinic Draws 'Patients' BY WILFRED SULTANA FRESH from the success of the 18th Edition of the Mapfre Middlesea EuroMed Regatta, held last December, and con- tested by 154 young sailors from 20 countries, the enthu- siastic and proficient commit- tee of the Malta Young Sailors Club (MYSC) are back in ac- tion with the Club's first activ- ity for 2018. This is an International Sail- ing Clinic for advanced sailors, in the Optimist Class. The Op- timist, one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world, is a small, single-handed dinghy intended for use by children up to the age of 15. Since their introduction in December of 2014, Sailing Clinics in Malta have been held regularly on a monthly basis except for the period June- September. Clinics run for 3-4 days and take a maximum of 12 sailors. Since then sailors from France, Slovenia, Aus- tria, United States of America, Slovakia, Russia, Italy, Nether- lands, Germany and of course Malta took part. Maurizio Bencic, a Slovenian professional coach with an ac- complishing background runs the Malta Clinics meant to im- prove the youngsters boat han- dling technique, tactics and race strategy. The day's pro- gramme is made up of morn- ing exercises on the water with practice races in the afternoon. On the days concerned, in the beginning of February, the average weather conditions in Malta were 'more sun than clouds', temperature 16°C, with the wind speed blowing 14 km per hour which truly contrib- uted to make this Malta expe- rience more appealing. Like the Mapfre Middlesea EuroMed Regatta these Clin- ics have a sports tourism po- tential as participating young sailors travel to Malta with other members of their family who stay in hotels and make it a point to 'play' tourists besides just sailors. Encouraged by the success of the Optimist Clinics the Malta Young Sailors Club are envis- aging implementing the same principal to 29ER Class sailors whose ages range from 14 and 19 years. A souvenir of the February MYSC International Optimist Clinic with participants hailing from France, Slovakia, Austria, Italy and Malta under the watchful eye of Slovenian coach Maurizio Bencic. (Photo: Andrea Schultheis) Kalkara St. Joseph sole leaders KALKARA St. Joseph BC are now leading alone Division one with 2 points following a 4-4 draw in the direct clash between Mosta Horseshoe Bar A and Floriana Ajax MCP A. With this result the same Mosta kept their hopes open to keep on challenging for the title. In Division 2, Sta. Venera Red Square continued from where they left, beating Gudja PO's 5-3. With this result, their 5 point lead on Floriana Ajax MCP B and Cospicua Rangers remains intact. In the third division Siggiewi St. Nicholas BC extended their lead to 8 points after beating 2nd place rivals St. Paul's BC with a score of 6-2. With St. Paul's losing their third game in a row, Floriana Ajax Munchies C claimed 2nd place with Sliema Tipico St. Gregory BC closing the gap for promotion race after an easy win against Bugibba Sun City Ladies. Results National League (2/2/2018) 1 Div. Mosta Horseshoe Bar A vs Flo- riana Ajax MCP A 4-4; Kalkara St. Joseph vs Gudja PO's Bar A 7-1; Senglea Manchester Con- quest A vs Żejtun Beland Bull- seye 5-3; B'Bugia Cox Sports Club A Ħamrun Education Bar 5-3 2 Div. Cospicua Rangers vs Buġibba Sun City A 5-3; Gudja PO's Bar B vs Sta. Venera Red Square vs 3-5; Ħamrun Education Bar B vs B'Bugia Cox Sports Club B 6-2; Floriana Ajax MCP B vs Mosta Horseshoe Bar B 5-3 3 Div. Mġarr The Hatch Sports Bar vs Floriana Bocci Club 0-8; St. Paul's BC vs Siġġiewi St. Nicho- las BC 2-6; St. Paul's Diamonds vs Floriana Ajax Munchies C 3-5; Mqabba St. Mary BC vs Senglea Manchester Conquest B 2-6; Buġibba Sun City Ladies vs Sliema Tipico St. Gregory BC 1-7; Żurrieq Football Club vs Ħamrun Bayern Munich 1-7 Current Standings Division 1 1st Kalkara St Joseph – 31 points; 2nd Floriana Ajax MCP – 29 points; 3rd Mosta Horse- shoe Bar A – 26 points; 4th Gud- ja PO`s Bar A – 22 points; 5th Birżebbuġa Cox Sports Club A –11 points, 6 th Senglea M. Con- quest A – 10 points 7th Żejtun Beland Bullseye – 7 points; 8th Ħamrun Education Bar A – 1 points. Division 2 1st Sta. Venera Red Square – 31 points t; 2nd Floriana Ajax MCP B, Cospicua Rangers – 26 points; 4th Mosta Horseshoe Bar B – 18 points; 5th Gudja POs Bar B, Buġibba Sun City A – 13 points; 7th Ħamrun Education Bar B – 5 points; 8th Birżebbuġa Cox Sports Club – 0 points. Division 3 1st Siġġiewi St. Nicholas BC – 34 points , 2nd Floriana Ajax Munchies C – 26 points 3rd St. Paul's Band Club – 25 points; 4th Sliema Tipico St. Gregory BC – 24 points; 5th Floriana Boċċi Club – 21 points; 6th Sen- glea M. Conquest B – 19 points; 7 th Ħamrun Bayern Munich – 17 points; 8th Mqabba St. Mary Band Club – 15 points; ; 9th St. Paul's Diamonds – 10 points; 10th Żurrieq Football Club, Buġibba Sun City Ladies – 7 points; 12th Mġarr The Hatch Sports Bar – 0 points. 4-a-side Knock Out Competition Preliminary Round – 2 Leg (30/1/2018) Kalkara St. Joseph BC vs Mosta Horseshoe Bar B 13-3 (agg. 24- 8); Cospicua Rangers vs Mosta Horseshoe Bar C 7-9 (agg. 13-19); Senglea Manchester Conquest vs Sta. Venera Red Square 4-12 (agg. 21-11) Round 1 – 1 Leg (6/2/2018) Floriana Ajax MCP B vs Kalka- ra St. Joseph BC; Gudja PO's Bar B vs Floriana Ajax MCP A; Mo- sta Horseshoe Bar C vs Gudja POs Bar A; Senglea Manchester Conquest A vs Ħamrun Educa- tion Bar; Floriana Ajax MCP C vs Sta. Venera Red Square; Żejtun Beland Bullseye A vs Żejtun Be- land Bullseye B; Mosta Horse- shoe Bar A vs Siġġiewi St. Nicho- las BC; Buġibba Sun City Ladies vs Buġibba Sun City A Premier League No surprises in Day 1 of the Malta Premier League of Darts as last year winner Norbert At- tard, Finalist Albert Scerri and Semi Finalists John Agius and Godfrey Abela, won their re- spective match, Debutant Andy Keen also won his game against Kirsten Aquilina after he was 2-0 down. The Malta Premier League of Darts is streamed live on the Malta Darts Association official YouTube Channel. Premier League – Day 1 – Results (31/1/2018) Norbert Attard Vs John Ciantar 4-0; George Ebejer vs John Agius 1-4; Andy Keen vs Kirsten Aqui- lina 4-2; Godfrey Abela vs Mario Aquilina 4-3; Albert Scerri vs Chris Cohen 4-2 Premier League – Day 2 (7/2/2018) Mario Aquilina vs George Ebe- jer; Kirsten Aquilina vs Norbert Attard; John Ciantar vs John Ag- ius; Chris Cohen vs Andy Keen; Albert Scerri vs Godfrey Abela Floriana Ajax MCP A Mosta Horseshoe Bar B