22 athletes from six different disciplines will be representing Malta in the Special Olympics World Games which are taking place in Los Angeles between the 25^th July and the 2^nd August. Malta will be competing in Athletics, Aquatics, Bowling, Bocce, Gymnastics and Table Tennis. The Maltese delegation includes 12 coaches, an assistant Head of Delegation, Elaine Bonnici and Anna Calleja, as Head of Delegation and National Director of Special Olympics Malta for the past 15 years. Mrs Michelle Muscat is Honorary President of the Maltese team.

 

The Opening Ceremony of the World Games will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum. The star-studded show will celebrate the true stars of the Games – the athletes of Special Olympics and will include entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. The ceremony will be broadcast internationally by ESPN. Headlining artists include Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne, O.A.R., Cody Simpson, and Nicole Scherzinger. The show will be directed by Emmy Award Winner, Debbie Allen and includes appearances by Jimmy Kimmel, Eva Longoria, Michael Phelps and many more.

 

Los Angeles will be hosting 7000 Special Olympics athletes and 3000 coaches from over 170 countries in these World Games. Some of the Maltese athletes competing in Los Angeles have already participated and won various medals in the last World Games which were held in Athens, Greece in 2011. These include sister and brother Annemarie and Matthew Bugeja, who won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in artistic gymnastics; Shanaia Xuereb, Charmaine Mifsud and Matthias Attard who won Gold and Silver medals in aquatics; Sarah Caruana, Jessica Dalli and Naomi Axisa who won Silver medals in athletics; Philip Gruppetta and Natasha Bianchi who won Gold and Bronze medals in Bowling; and Yowanna Vassallo and Mark Agius who won Bronze medals in Bocce. During last year’s European Games in Antwerp, Belgium the Maltese team garnered 17 Gold, 16 Silver and 13 Bronze medals.

 

The aim of the Special Olympics World Games is to create awareness that leads to the acceptance and inclusion of all people with intellectual disabilities – and ultimately to the acceptance of all people with differences. Special Olympics were founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968.

 

The Special Olympics athlete oath states, ‘Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.’

 

For more information about the Special Olympics World Games 2015 log on to www.la2015.org, for updates on the Maltese team, follow Special Olympics Malta on Facebook.

 

The Special Olympics Malta Athletes competing in the World Games 2015 in Los Angeles are:

Athletics – Athletes

Alec	Falzon	12	50M Run Softball Throw
Adam	Pisani	17	100M Run 200M Run Relay 4 x 100M
Johnny	Mamo	19	100M Long Jump Relay 4 x 100M
Charlene	Magro	23	100M Walk Standing Long Jump
Jessica	Dalli	17	100M Run Long Jump Relay 4 x 100M
Sarah	Caruana	23	100M Run 200M Run
Naomi	Axisa	20	100M Run 200M Run Relay 4 x 100M

Athletics – Coaches

Grace	Micallef	Head Coach
Amanda	Dimech	Assistant Coach
Maria	Zammit	Assistant Coach

 

Aquatics – Athletes

Matthias	Attard	19	800M Freestyle 1500 Open Water 4 x 50M Freestyle Relay
Jonathan	Borg	27	800M Freestyle 1500 Open Water 4 x 50M Freestyle Relay
Charmaine	Mifsud	22	100M Breaststroke 200M Breaststroke 4 x 50M Freestyle Relay
Shanaia	Xuereb	19	800M Freestyle 1500 Open Water 4 x 50M Freestyle Relay
Klara	Zammit	20	400M Freestyle 800M Freestyle 1500m  Freestyle

Aquatics – Coaches

Erica	Andolfi	Head Coach
Christabel	D’Amato	Assistant Coach
Joyce	Orland	Assistant Coach

Gymnastics – Athletes

Annemarie	Bugeja	13	Floor Exercise Uneven Bars Vault Balance Beam All Around
Natalie	Galea	33	Floor Exercise Uneven Bars Vault Balance Beam All Around
Matthew	Bugeja	16	Floor Exercise Pommel Horse Rings Vault Horizontal Bars Parallel Bars All Around
Enrique	Xerry	13	Floor Exercise Pommel Horse Rings Vault Horizontal Bars Parallel Bars All Around

Gymnastics – Coaches

Elaine	Genovese	Head Coach
Mary	Zahra	Assistant Coach

Bocce – Athletes

Yowanna	Vassallo	27	Singles Doubles
Mark	Agius	31	Singles Doubles

 

Bocce- Coach

Odette

Chetcuti

Head Coach

Table Tennis – Athletes

Christabel	Borg	16	Singles Mixed Doubles
Warren	Schembri	18	Singles Mixed Doubles

Table Tennis – Coaches

Johanna

Grech

Head Coach

Bowling – Athletes

Natasha	Bianchi	32	Singles Doubles
Philip	Gruppetta	20	Singles Doubles

Bowling – Coaches

Mark	Spiteri	Head Coach
Anna	Farrugia	Assistant Coach