Lagana was 34 pins ahead of earlier leader Mercieca and was the only player to play above the 190 average in the event.

More impressively, Lagana also became the youngest ever player to win an opening event in ten pin bowling.

Football

We start off this segment with a look at the BOV Premier League where some crucial and pivotal matches were played last weekend.

It was a must-win scenario for both Floriana and Hibernians who were vying for points for two different reasons.

In second place, Hibernians needed a win in order to close the gap with group leaders, Hamrun Spartans.

For Floriana, who dropped all the way to 11th place after a six-game losing streak, a win was needed to turn their fortunes around.

The game ended in a 1-1 stalemate – an undesirable result for both teams but especially for Floriana, who is now in 12th place.

The weekend didn’t prove any more fruitful for the Spartans who mounted a quick comeback after going to 0-2 against Santa Lucia. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

One team that did shine over the weekend was Gżira United which secured 2-0win over Tarxien Rainbows.

Gżira United is currently in third place, just two points behind Hibernians but the team seems to be trending upwards and should be considered a real threat for the title.

International

Several Maltese internationals stepped on the pitch last weekend with their respective clubs, with some notable performances on display.

Ylenia Carabott scored her first goal for top-flight Belgian team Royal Charleroi in what was her 12th appearance for the club. Carabott helped secure Charleroi’s first win in the league against Zulte-Waregem.

Newport County must be glad they secured Luke Gambin from Colchester United on loan after the Maltese international scored an amazing goal against Oldham Athletic over the weekend.

Gambin was also instrumental in setting up Newport’s first goal with an assist. Despite his valiant efforts, Newport ended the day on a 3-2 defeat.

Futsal

An incredible display of showmanship occurred during last week’s futsal matchups. Żurrieq FC allowed its opponents, St George’s FC, to score a goal to compensate for an injured player that went down during one of its goals.

This act is commendable especially since it meant that Żurrieq would go one goal down. The match ended in a 5-1 win for St George’s FC.

Shooting

The first trap selection shoot of 2021 was held last weekend. The competition was held at the Malta National Shooting Ranges over two days and with 75 targets on Day One and 50 targets on Day Two – the finals.

Emanuel Bugeja came out on top with an official overall result from a single shot of 44/50. William Chetcuti came in second with 41/50 shots and Brian Galea in third with 31/40.

The first skeet selection shoot also took place on the 16th and 17th of January with Liam Scibberas coming out on top.

Marcello Attard came in second place while Matthias Azzopardi finished in third.

Snooker

Snooker was in full swing this weekend. In the premier division, Melchior Galea lost to Philip Ciantar 0-4 in the best of seven frames.

In the first division, Marco Galea lost to Neville Chetcuti 2-3 in the best of five frames.

In the second division, Brain Cardona lost to Clinton Falzon 2-3 in the best of five frames.

In the masters’ division, Tony Mifsud beat Ivan Brincat 3-1 in the best of five frames.

Hockey

The Hockey Seniors National League continued with Qormi Daikin beating Rabat 5-1.

GREE Sliema had a great day too with a 4-1 win over Floriana Young Stars.

Athletics

In a celebration of all the incredible athletic feats of 2020, Athletics Malta held its Athlete of the Year Awards.

Janet Richard and Luke Farrugia won the top prizes for athletes of the year while Jordan Gusman and Benjamin Micallef received special accolades for their outstanding performances.

Richard and Farrugia both set national records last year, in the 400m and discus respectively.

Jordan Gusman received the award for Technical Achievement Open and Benjamin Micallef won Technical Achievement for under-23s.

Did we miss anything? Let us know by sending an email to [email protected]