The Malta Weightlifting Association organized the first local competition of the year on Sunday 2nd February with a good number of athletes participated from seven different clubs. The first competition included youths under-17, with very positive results from Matthew Grech, totaling 116kg to capture 179 points. Good progress over the previous year was also made by Kirsten Scerri, achieving a total of 90kg to increase 11 points from the previous year. Owen Bugeja had a fantastic competition, breaking seven national records in the 94+ weight category with a 162kg lift. The second competition saw the females section going head to head with Amy Guiga lifting a total of 43kg, progressing over the previous year by 17 points. The most impressive and best result in this category came from Ivana Micallef who shattered the national record in the 75+ weight category with a total of 104kg lifted. The final competition included the Mens seniors. The top spot was fiercely competed for, with Kyle Micallef achieving a 210kg total, with Jovan Reljic trailing second with his 220kg total behind overall winner Noel Colerio’s 235kg total. Following this competition, the selection process will be underway for the athletes who are to represent Malta in the coming international competitions for this year, including the Mediterranean Cup held in Tunisa and The European Small National Tournament to be held in April in San Marino.