Maltese Athletes to Compete in Special Olympics World Games 2015 in Los Angeles
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 25th July and the 2nd 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 |