Badminton player Matthew Abela will represent Malta at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.

Abela is the second Maltese athlete to be called up for the forthcoming Summer Games and is also the first Maltese to compete in the sport of badminton in the Olympics since it was first introduced in 1992.

“It is truly an honour for me to be representing Malta at the forthcoming Olympic Games. I am very much aware of the responsibility that comes with such a selection and the hard work that has been put in so far will continue with more motivation,” Abela said following the announcement.

Abela will join indoor pistol shooter Eleanor Bezzina as part of the contingent that will represent Malta at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Like Bezzina, Abela was selected to participate in the Olympics via the IOC Tripartite Commission, which offers local Olympic committees the opportunity to select athletes to participate despite not managing to qualify in the first place.

While Bezzina and Abela have their spots secured at this year’s Olympic Games, many other Maltese athletes are still hoping to join the contingent by obtaining necessary qualification times.

One such athlete is 15-year-old swimmer Sasha Gatt who has already qualified for Olympic B Standard at the Slovakian Grand Prix earlier this year.

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place between 23rd July and 8th August in Tokyo.

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