Gzira Athleta and Luxol to contest MAPFRE MSV Life Women Basketball Final Playoff
Gzira Athleta and Caffe Moak Luxol will contest the best-of-5 MAPFRE MSV Life 2017 Women Basketball Playoff Finals series. Gzira Athleta booked their berth in the final with a 3-0 win in the semifinal series against Depiro while Luxol had to come back from an initial loss against Starlites to win their semifinal 3-1.
The president of the Malta Basketball Association, Paul Sultana and Micheal Galea, Chief Officer Business Development of MAPFRE MSV Life addressed the media in the presence of Dr. Clarence Busuttil and Amelia Simmons, president and foreign player for Gizra Athleta and Santino Coppa and Mandy Mercieca, Luxol’s coach and team captain respectively.
Paul Sultana thanked MAPFRE MSV Life for its support and stressed the importance of such support for female sport. Whilst auguring the best perfomance to both finalists, Mr Sultana said ‘the female games have been very balanced and interesting this season, with a number of tight margin games decided in the last moments. The finals are expected to be likewise and open to any result’.
Michael Galea, on behalf of the main women league sponsor MAPFRE MSV Life explained that the leading life insurer in Malta has now been supporting the MBA for the past five years and the second year that it was directly sponsoring the MBA Women’s National League.
Mr. Galea explained that MAPFRE MSV Life’s contribution to sports in Malta is wide-ranging and covers a number of activities. “Sports constitutes one of the pillars of our Community Relations Programme alongside our support of Arts and Culture, Heritage, Social Patronage and Education”, explained Mr. Galea.
Whilst congratulating the Malta Basketball Association for its efforts to promote the sport in Malta, Mr. Galea also echoed the president’s wishes to the finalists, ‘on the eve of the MAPFRE MSV Life Women League Finals, we are looking forward to hard-fought games with a high level of play’
‘Full respect will be given to our opponents but we will try hard to play well and bring the league to Gzira Athleta’ said women team president Dr. Clarence Busuttil. ‘The women league has been very competitive this season and now it boils down to the finals. All the honours have been shared between us and Luxol and we hope to bring home the last, and major, cup’
Santino Coppa, Luxol’s coach said that he was happy to be back in Malta amongst many friends. ‘Luxol asked me to help out and am satisfied and proud with the efforts of the girls in the team who always try very hard. We will fight to win the league again although import player, Attirah Munir, unfortunately was injured in the last game and may possibly miss the finals’
Gzira Athleta’s American forward Amelia Simmons, in her second stint in Malta, said that this time around there is a stronger squad as players have also gained more experience. ‘Am happy with what was acccomplished so far, I feel at ease with my mates and am looking forward to a good team effort to win the finals’.
From her end, Mandy Mercieca, Luxol’s captain reconfirmed that many of the games during the season have been open to any result. ‘The team has now been together for the last seven or so years and it feels a lot like family. We will surely be tussling hard to keep the league trophy at Luxol’
The Women Final Playoff matches are scheduled as follows:
Game 1 – Thursday 20th April – 7.30pm
Game 2 – Sunday 23rd April – 2.45pm
Game 3 – Thursday 27th April – 7.30pm
Game 4 – Saturday 29th April – 2.45pm
Game 5 – Monday 1st May – 2.45pm
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