The Malta Blackball Federation organized a presentation night to recognize the achievements recorded during 2025 by the Maltese national teams and individual players in international competitions. The event served as a celebration of the hard work, dedication and passion that enabled Malta to secure prestigious results at both world and European level.

The awards were presented by the Minister for Education and Sport, Dr Clifton Grima, who praised the athletes’ continued commitment and their contribution towards raising the standard of blackball in Malta, while representing the country in the best possible manner.

During the International Blackball Federation World Championships held in Malta, Maltese players delivered outstanding performances. Lydan Debono won the IBF Men’s World Championship title, while Jesmond Schembri and Chris Mills were crowned IBF Over-50 Doubles World Champions. Jake Castaldi and Dielyn Edwards also enjoyed major success after claiming the IBF Under-15 Doubles World Championship title.

Further important achievements were recorded at the European Blackball Association European Championships held in Ireland, where Mevrick Zammit was crowned EBA Men’s European Champion. Steven Muscat and Nordia Desira claimed the EBA Under-23 Doubles title, further confirming the high level attained by Maltese players.

A historic performance was also delivered by the Malta Seniors Over-40 National Team, which won the EBA title in the same age category. The team was managed by Darren Micallef and consisted of Raymond Caruana, Josef Tabone, Chris Tabone, Stephen Mangion, Lee Grima and Antoine Schembri, all of whom contributed to this collective success.

The year 2025 was also a memorable one for the Malta Under-15 National Team, which achieved a double success at both European and international level. The team won the EBA Under-15 Team Championship and later went on to secure the EBA Under-15 Nations Cup title in the United Kingdom. The team was managed by Robert Attard and included Jake Castaldi, Dielyn Edwards, Nick Muscat and Denzel Falzon.