Special Olympics Gibraltar 38th National Games 2023 Day 2 - Football And Bocce
Day 2 of the Special Olympics Gibraltar 38th National Games continued with the football tournament on the 5-a-side pitch in the Special Olympics Complex.
A statement from Special Olympics Gibraltar follows below:
Alongside the Gibraltar and Isle of Man teams was a team from Algeciras also invited to take part. In the first match between Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, Team Gibraltar were dominant from the start over a young and untested Manx side. A hat-trick from Giovanni Yeo added to goals from Francis Avellano, Lee Guerreiro, Jansen Gilbert and Gianni Ochello to give the home team a 7 – nil victory. This was followed by a 4 – 1 win over Algeciras in their second game, with another goal from Gianni Ochello and a hat-trick, this time from Jansen Gilbert. That was enough to give Gibraltar the gold medal, with a win by Algeciras in the final game against the Isle of Man bringing them the silver medal whilst the Isle of Man left with the bronze.
In the afternoon the Games continued with the bocce competition at the Bayside Sports Complex. Bocce is a game which has been very popular with athletes in both Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. The afternoon started with a doubles competition involving 3 Gibraltar teams and 2 Manx teams, and finished with a team event between both countries. In the doubles the pairing of Marvin Zammit and Miguel Rubio proved unbeatable winning all 4 of their matches and claiming the gold medal. The ladies from the Isle of Man, of Rebecca Mallor and Nicola Wooldridge, put in a great effort to win 3 of their 4 matches and claim silver medal position whilst the Gibraltar team of Dorian Zammit and Mabel Perez brought home the bronze. In the team event Gibraltar kept their unbeaten record from 2022 and despite being tested in the early stages of the game they finished with a flourish to win 5 -1 and took the gold.
The bocce tournament was first staged in memory of Paola Poggio who was a popular coach amongst the athletes and who led the bocce training for many years, but who sadly passed away last year. Each year the teams play for the Paola Poggio Shield which is awarded to the country with the most overall points scored and this year it was won again by Team Gibraltar for the second year running.
The Games continues on Friday with the bowling competition in the morning at Kings Bastion followed by the swimming competition at the GSLA (GASA) pool in the afternoon. The closing ceremony will follow the swimming event after which the athletes and immediate families are invited to the closing barbecue at the Retreat Centre.
