GAETA, ITALY — Malta’s beach handball national teams delivered their finest collective performances to date at the Calise Cup, a milestone that underscores the significant progress the Malta Handball Association has made since the national teams first entered the competition three years ago.
Before the official competition got underway, both squads took the opportunity to sharpen their preparation with a series of friendly matches. The Women’s team faced Slovakia and Niterói Rugby FC Handbol (BRA), while the Men’s squad went up against the Italian national team and Niterói — high-quality opposition that proved the perfect warm-up for the days ahead.
Men’s National Team: 9th Place — A Historic Best
The Men’s national team opened their campaign on Friday evening with a convincing victory over Italy’s Colosseum Handball B in Group B. A dominant display produced sets of 16-14 and 24-14, giving Malta a 2-0 win and an immediate statement of intent heading into the weekend’s remaining fixtures.
Saturday’s programme was a demanding one. Malta first faced Melluzhi Jurmala (LVA) — who would go on to finish runners-up in the tournament — in a closely contested opening set that ended 20-22, before the Latvians pulled away in the second (11-22) to win 2-0. The tight first set, decided by just two points, was a telling sign of how far Malta have come. A second loss on the day followed against Niteroi Rugby FC Handbol (BRA), one of the most decorated clubs in world beach handball and bound for the EBT Finals, who ran out 2-0 winners (26-8, 27-22). Facing sides of that calibre and competing as they did is itself a mark of the squad’s growth. Malta then recovered to defeat Handball Mascalucia (ITA) 2-1, before a further 2-1 win over Colosseum Handball A (ITA) confirmed their progression into the classification rounds.
The team then took on Beach Handball Tilburg (NED) in the play-off for 9th place and rose to the occasion, running out 2-0 winners (20-14, 22-20) to claim their best-ever finish at the Calise Cup.
Women’s National Team: 6th Place and Fair Play Award
Malta’s Women’s beach handball team also gave an excellent account of themselves throughout the competition. Their opening Group B fixture on Friday morning against Beach Handball Tilburg (NED) produced a commanding performance, with Malta winning both sets 23-10 and 22-10 — a notably wider margin than when the two sides met at the same competition last year, and a clear sign of the squad’s growing strength. Later that day, they faced Olympia Beach Handball (GBR) in a harder contest, losing 0-2 with sets of 8-16 and 12-18, though they competed well throughout.
Saturday’s group stage concluded with a well-fought match against GRD Leca-Lovetiles (POR), one of the tournament’s top sides. Malta pushed hard in a competitive first set before losing 22-26, with the second set going 14-27. Moving into the final stage cross-matches for positions 5–8, Malta faced Nicosia Beach Handball (CYP) in the quarter-final round, losing 0-2 (14-24, 19-26). They then closed out the weekend in style, defeating Colosseum Handball Women (ITA) 2-0 in an absorbing match — with sets of 21-16 and an extremely tight 27-26 in the second — to claim 6th place overall.
The spirit and sportsmanship shown by the Women’s team across the entire competition did not go unnoticed. They were presented with the coveted Fair Play Award — a recognition that reflects not only how the team conducted themselves on the sand, but the values that Malta’s handball community continues to embody at every level.
“What we have achieved here goes beyond the scoreboard. Everyone at this tournament has remarking on how much we have improved since last year — and that recognition means a great deal. In fact, the Italian National Team Coach, a team that finished seventh in the European Championships last year has stated that he wants to bring his squad to Malta for a training camp because he can’t find opponents this strong at home, you know your players have earned respect.” – Ádám Süle, Head of Delegation.
Beyond the Competition: Friendly Tournament and Training
With the official Calise Cup commitments concluded, both squads remained in Gaeta to participate in additional activities that will further their development. The players will be taking part in a mini friendly tournament alongside the Australian national team and the Latvian national team — the latter competing in today’s final — providing valuable international exposure beyond the structured competition.
The Women’s squad will also benefit from a joint training session with the GRD Leca girls, an opportunity that speaks to the collaborative spirit of the beach handball family and the ongoing commitment of Malta’s players to raise their game at every opportunity.
“These results are proof to the hard work of our athletes and coaching staff and the strategic long term vision of the Association. To finish 9th with the boys and earn the Fair Play Award with the women — all while continuing to improve year on year — is something the entire handball community in Malta should be proud of.” — Daniel Tabone, President – Malta Handball Association
The Malta Handball Association would like to thank the European Handball Federation, Visit Malta, the Maltese Olympic Committee and Tuff Drinks for their support.