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Maltese - Men Basketball
Cassar to focus on coaching licence - Jun 19, 2009 (by Eurobasket News)
The 2009 Games of the Small States of Europe marked the end of the road for one of our stalwarts in men's basketball as Silvio Cassar (208-C-71) announced he was retiring from the national team after 21 years of service.
The Cyprus adventure, however, offered little cause for celebration for Silvio Cassar and the national team as they finished fifth overall with only one win from five matches
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The 2009 Games of the Small States of Europe marked the end of the road for one of our stalwarts in men's basketball as Silvio Cassar (208-C-71) announced he was retiring from the national team after 21 years of service.
The Cyprus adventure, however, offered little cause for celebration for Silvio Cassar and the national team as they finished fifth overall with only one win from five matches.
Silvio Cassar's decision to call it a day is a blow to the team who struggled hard in recent years to match the same levels of their female counterparts - gold medal winners in the Cyprus Games.
'It's time for me to say goodbye and make way for the young ones,' Silvio Cassar, 37, told The Times.
'It has been a fantastic journey that has provided me with some great memories but time catches up and I need to move on. Now, I'm focusing all my energies on one last season with my club Compleet IS SW.'
Silvio Cassar earned his first call-up to the national team way back in 1988 when coach John Tabone selected the then budding centre to form part of his squad for the inaugural Promotion Cup in Malta.
Since then, Silvio Cassar has participated in seven GSSEs, making his debut in Cyprus 1989. Incidentally, he decided to bring the curtains down on his international career in the same country.
'I would have liked to have ended my national team career with a better result in the GSSE,' he said.
'However, I believe we couldn't have expected better given the way we approached the Games. In the six months prior to Cyprus, the team trained hard but we never had the opportunity to play some test matches against overseas teams and that finally told in our overall performance.
'The opening match against Iceland was our first for almost a year on the international scene and they duly exposed all our weaknesses. As the tournament progressed, the team gradually adjusted to those high standards.
'We did manage to win our final match against San Marino, but, I guess, that was too little, too late.'
The towering Silvio Cassar started his career with the Lyceum Stars and had spells with Enemalta Paola Stars, Sliema Juvenis 76, Athleta Pembroke and Luxol.
Asked to name his fondest memory of his time with the national team, Silvio Cassar was quick to reply.
'The silver medal in the Iceland GSSE in 1997,' he said.
'That year we had a really strong team. Tim Britt and Roger Fasting were selected and they gave the team a new dimension. We came really close to winning the gold medal but lost to Cyprus in the final.'
Silvio Cassar believes that men's basketball can only improve if more foreign players are allowed in the National League.
'We cannot lift our game without foreign players in the league. Our youngsters need to play regularly with players of this type,' Silvio Cassar said.
'In 1999-2000, when a Maltese selection competed in the Italian Serie C, our game reaped huge dividends. During that season, I played 66 matches of the highest level.
'The national team became a force to be reckoned with as all players were gaining valuable experience week in week out.
'I believe that clubs should be given the chance to sign more foreigners, either from EU countries or outside. An increase of overseas players will not damage our game, it will only give our players the opportunity to develop their skills and mature faster. Unless we take that route, we are never going to close the gap with the others, particularly those in the GSSE.'
Turning his sights on the future, Silvio Cassar has his heart set on a coaching career. He is already engaged with the Hibernians nursery and his objective is to obtain a FIBA coaching licence.
'I'm not going to stop here. I want to pass all my experience to the young ones, those who dream of a career in basketball,' Silvio Cassar said.
'At the moment I'm coaching the Hibs U-13 side but in future I want to coach at the top level. I will look at all possibilities and intend to start a three-year course to obtain a FIBA coaching licence.
'We have a crop of promising players coming up. For me, Sam Deguara is an outstanding talent who has already left his mark in Italy with Benetton Treviso.
'We need more players of that calibre. I feel I have to give my contribution and assist those who could represent the future of Maltese basketball.'
Courtesy of: http://www.timesofmalta.com
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Maltese National Team 2009 - Jun 10, 2009 (by Sahereh)
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4 Michael Naudi (193-G/F-80) of Sliema Compleet IS SW
5 Marco Mercieca (184-G-83) of Bupa Luxol
7 Peter Shoults (168-G-85) of Siggiewi Basketball Club
8 Steve Schembri (187-F-79) of Bupa Luxol
9 Addison Bonnici (195-F-84) of Sliema Compleet IS SW
10 Omar Said (177-G-80) of Sliema Compleet IS SW
11 Adrian Micallef (190-F-79) of Siggiewi Basketball Club
12 Dirk Schembri (193-F-85) of Bupa
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Deguara's Benetton Treviso clinch Italian Under-19 title - Jun 10, 2009 (by Eurobasket News)
The U-19 Benetton team and officials at the end of the final against Montepaschi Siena.
Samuel Deguara (223-C-91) capped a positive season in the Italian league after helping his club Benetton Treviso to win the U-19 championship last weekend.
Deguara, 18 this month, potted four points and had 14 rebounds in the final against Montepaschi Siena at Salsomaggiore.
Benetton won 81-70 to secure the title for the renowned Treviso club
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The U-19 Benetton team and officials at the end of the final against Montepaschi Siena.
Samuel Deguara (223-C-91) capped a positive season in the Italian league after helping his club Benetton Treviso to win the U-19 championship last weekend.
Deguara, 18 this month, potted four points and had 14 rebounds in the final against Montepaschi Siena at Salsomaggiore.
Benetton won 81-70 to secure the title for the renowned Treviso club. It was their seventh U-19 title and the second in the last three years.
Deguara, a 2.23m post, has been on the books of Benetton since 2006 now. Siena were leading at half-time but Benetton staged a remarkable comeback to go ahead 60-54 before the last quarter.
The last 10 minutes were a mere formality as Benetton held control.
Deguara did not play for Malta in last week's Games of the Small States of Europe in Cyprus to play for Benetton in the final.
He will return to the national team next month when he joins the U-18 squad for the European Championships.
The tournament will be held at Ta' Qali in the third week of July.
Courtesy of: http://www.timesofmalta.com
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Malta record first win in Nicosia - Jun 6, 2009
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Luxembourg grab the second win in Nicosia - Jun 4, 2009
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Andorra too good for Malta - Jun 3, 2009
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Malta National Team 2009 - Jun 3, 2009
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Iceland romp past Malta on Cyprus - Jun 2, 2009
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Men's basketball team in doubt as MOC yet to finalise list - May 20, 2009
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Last-gasp three-pointer puts Luxol in driving seat - May 5, 2009
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Mihailovic joins Loyola - May 5, 2009
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Compleet book place in final - Apr 13, 2009
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BoV KO success for Medsea, BUPA - Apr 4, 2009
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Morale-boosting victory for Compleet over rivals Bupa - Apr 4, 2009
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Luxol top team at end of first phase - Mar 28, 2009
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Luxol retain Super Cup - Mar 20, 2009
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Siggiewi no match for Compleet - Mar 17, 2009
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Holders Luxol sweat for place in final - Mar 3, 2009
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Compleet collect first honour of season - Jan 26, 2009
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Luxol to take on Compleet in MBA Shield final - Dec 27, 2008
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