Ben Camille this week visited Malta’s leading weightlifters’ training at the Cottonera Sports Complex.
Maltese weightlifters have enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years with Yazmin Zammit Stevens managing to represent Malta at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo while rising star Tenishia Thornton won medals at the Commonwealth Championships and the World Youth Championships.
Jesmond Caruana, the Malta Weightlifting Association president, said that the sport has grown in popularity in the last few months, with female participation reaching higher numbers than their male counterparts, particularly at youth level.
“It’s quite a remarkable change in trend,” Caruana said.
“At the start, it was quite difficult for us to have girls to start practising weightlifting but we managed to change the trend as today in the young generation we have more girls taking up the sport than boys.
“To train weightlifting one needs a lot of concentration and if you look around you see all lifters very focused as they have several exercises to complete and continuous chatting cannot happen.
“Every athlete has his own training programme which is planned on his ability and is followed by qualified coaches.”
Hottest games predictions
The challenge between Ben Camille and Times of Malta Sports Editor Valhmor Camilleri is heating up, as they continue trying to predict the results of the hottest games happening this weekend.
How did they do last week?
Ben Camille and Valhmor Camilleri will be looking to make amends after they failed to score any points from the hottest matches played a fortnight ago.
Total Scores after week 9
In the overall standings, Valhmor Camilleri still leads the way with 370 points while Ben Camille is trailing with 320 points.
We will keep you updated with a tally of their scores every week. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
Hibernians vs Ħamrun Spartans (Monday at 17.00)
Leaders Hibernians will be looking to make another significant step towards winning the Premier League title when they face champions Ħamrun Spartans on Monday.
Before this month’s international break, Hibernians reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a stunning 4-1 win over nearest rivals Floriana that put them two points clear at the top.
But the real business starts now when the Top Six round gets under way this weekend and a win over the champions would surely push Hibernians closer to the title crown.
Still, they are set for a tough challenge as the Spartans are desperate for the three points as they look to secure a top-three placing that would earn them a place in European football this summer.
Ben Camille’s prediction: Hibernians vs Ħamrun Spartans 1-1.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Hibernians vs Ħamrun Spartans 0-0.
Juventus vs Inter (Sunday at 18.00)
Inter and Juventus face off on Sunday with their title hopes in the balance as Italy fully opens its doors to supporters for the first time in two years.
The so-called ‘Derby of Italy’ in Turin will be one of the first matches to be played in front of a full house after also being one of the first to be played behind closed doors back in March 2020, and the return to 100 per cent capacity grounds comes for a match which could be crucial in deciding who claims the Scudetto.
With eight matches remaining, Inter’s grip on the their league crown has slipped after a collapse in form which leaves them third, six points behind leaders and local rivals AC Milan, who have a chance to slip further ahead when they host Bologna on Monday.
Juve, who at the start of February were 11 points behind Inter – then four points clear at the top-have surged to within a point of their old rivals thanks to a 16-match unbeaten run which has almost guaranteed them a place in the Champions League and also made them dark horses for the run-in.
Ben Camille’s prediction: Juventus vs Inter 1-0.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Juventus vs Inter 0-1.
Man. United vs Leicester (Saturday at 18.30)
This is a must-win match for Manchester United if they are to remain in the hunt for a top-four place this season.
The Red Devils have shown indifferent form in recent weeks which has seen them drop precious points to slip to sixth place in the Premier League standings on 50 points, four adrift of Arsenal, who however, have one game in hand.
Facing such scenario, nothing less than three points will suit United’s top four challenge but their aspirations will be put under severe test by a Leicester side who are also passing through a very disappointing season.
The Foxes seem out of the running from challenging for a place in Europe and will be desperate to take all three points to try and reignite their hopes of a top eight finish.
Ben Camille’s prediction: Man. United vs Leicester 2-1.
Valhmor Camilleri’s prediction: Man. United vs Leicester 1-0.
Do you reckon you can beat Ben and Valhmor? Let us know your predictions for this weekend’s hottest matches in the comments below.
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