As the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, continue to progress, Malta’s commitments on Sunday took place in Weightlifting and Lawn Bowls.
One of the youngest members of the Maltese contingent, weightlifter Tenishia Thornton was the first of the Maltese four weightlifters to compete on Sunday. She competed in the 59kg category. The 16 year old managed a 78kg snatch and 100kg clean and jerk, both equal to her best ever in this weight category.
The sixteen-year-old, lifted 78 kilos in the snatch, failing two attempts of 80 kilos. In the clean & jerk her best lift was 100 kilos after failing two attempts of 103 kilograms. The 100kgs lift is one that she successfully managed only twice before this competition, so this result is her best in this lift.
Thornton, finished the competition in eighth place from a pool of 11 participants. The competition was won by Rafiatu Folashade Lawal of Nigeria with a total of 200 kilos before Jessica Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom with 197 kilos and Tali Dorsigny of Canada with 196 kilos.
Meanwhile, in Victoria Park the Men’s Triples Team played against Fiji in the quarterfinals of this category, having drawn with India on the previous day. Peter John Ellul, Troy Lorimer and Shaun Parnis on Sunday played a close game against Fiji with no clear winner being evident throughout the game. With scores being constantly changed, Malta went into the lead 12-10, but a reaction from Fiji towards the end meant that the game changed and Fiji emerged winners with a narrow score of 15-14.
On Monday morning, Maltese Judoka Katryna Esposito will take to the mats when she competes against England’s Amy Platten the 48kg Quarter Final match. Later on in the day, weightlifter Yazmin Zammit Stevens, making her second Commonwealth Games appearance will compete in the 64kgs Final event. Whilst Games debutant Roberta Tabone will compete in the 71kgs Final event.
