#51: Two Bronze Medals For Maltese Athletes In Romania
Two Maltese clubs attended the Dracula Open in Romania, coming back with two bronze medals.
The medals came by way of Michela Scerri (Iron Taekwondo League) and Luke Chircop (Dragon Academy).
Michela played as the first seed in the female -42kg, having come off recent World Championships and European Grand Prix Qualifier tournaments. She faced Italian athlete Sara Pireddu (match 154) in the quarter final with calm, class and experience. She won the fight with a round-score of 2:0 to secure the podium and play in the semi-final.
In the semi-final (164), Michela then faced Anna Criscuolo, another Italian athlete in the division. Despite a hard-fought performance, the score went against the Maltese, who lost with a round-score of 2:0. Nevertheless, Michela bowed out with a bronze medal for her and the team.
Luke Chircop also distinguished himself by winning a Bronze medal with his respective victory against a competitor from Cyprus (match 713).
Luke managed a 2:0 win in his first fight (QF) and moved right into the semi-final where he faced Angelov (724), a Bulgarian athlete. Luke fought hard, but unfortunately the result went against him (0:2).
Between the two clubs, other athletes, narrowly missed a podium spot with close losses in the Quarter Finals.
With ITL, Robin (match 311) drew Hungarian athlete Borsos in the round of 32. He registered a convincing first-round win, scoring a great headshot in the opening seconds of the round and maintaining the pace to keep the score 15-10. Borsos, however, turned the game around in round 2, winning the round to even the playing field.
The Hungarian eventually got the better of the Maltese in round 3.
Maltese cadet Jean Schembri played next (match 217), drawing Romanian Bulancea in the round of 16. Jean fought with tremendous spirit, registering an 11-1 win in the first round and a 12-1 win in the second.
He would play again in match 224, this time drawing Ukrainian athlete Rabchuk. Jean held his own for a considerable section of the match, even leading for the first minute of the first round. However, Rabchuk turned the game around and opened the score-line with successive well-placed shots. The Ukrainian would claim both rounds to advance to the quarterfinals.
Fergeson played next in match 431, drawing Spanish athlete Arnay (Round of 32). The match proved to be a difficult encounter for the young Maltese, who did not meet the aggressive pace of his opponent. Fergeson lost the game with a round score of 2:0.
With Dragon Academy, Nathan Degiorgio and Samuel Vella were eliminated in their initial bouts against Italian athletes, the experience provided them with valuable lessons in adaptability and strategy.
Coaches Ditmir Vodinaj and Mauro Busuttil represented ITL and DAM respectively.
