Sport

Walking Footballers at EuroCopa 2023

EuroCopa 2023 – Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal

Gibraltar’s Walking Footballers (Gib WF) in the aged 60+, took part in the EuroCopa 2023 Walking Football international tournament held at Albufeira in the Algarve, Portugal on the 17th and 18th April 2023. 

The travelling party comprised 13 players and 6 officials including a referee and a Sports Therapist, at the tournament which took place in the Estadio Da Nora, Ferreiras, in Albufeira.

A total of 40 teams from 9 countries, split into two age categories of 50+ and 60+ had travelled to the popular Portuguese town in the herat of the Algarve, with Giibraltar competing in the 60+ age category which saw a total of 19 teams split into one group of 7 teams and 2 groups of 6 teams each. Gibraltar were drawn into Group 3 alongside East Algarve Olhao, Brackley Sinners, Pimlico Burgundians, SC Farense and West Hartlepool Strollers.

Day 1

The 17th April saw the group stages take place and Gibraltar’s walking footballers were on fire, finishing top of the group with a total of 13 points from a possible 15, and easing into the final stages scheduled for day 2 with some impressive results:

• Gib WF 2 – SC Fearense 1,
  Goalscorers: Brian Mañasco,
  Albert Cumbo. 
• Gib WF 3 – Pimlico 0, Goalscorers: Albert Cumbo and Gilbert Licudi.
• Gib WF 1 – West Hartlepool 0, Goalscorer: Mario Glynn 
• Gib WF 4 – Blackley Sinners 0, Goalscorers: Tony Gingell, Brian Mañasco, Mohamed Moudden and Andy Sene.
• Gib WF 0 – East Algarve Olhao 0.

Day 2 

saw the top 3 teams of each group and the best placed 4th team split into two groups of 5. Gibraltar were drawn into in Group B alongside Bolton Nomads, Walking Lions, SC Farense and Cardiff City in what proved to be much tougher set of opponents. Nevertheless Gibraltar were undefeated throughout the group matches winning 1 and drawing three. A second-place group finish behind Walking Lions meant they were through to the semifinals:

• Gib WF 0 – Cardiff City 0.
• Gib WF 0 – Bolton Nomads 0.
• Gib WF 1 – Walking Lions 0,
  Goalscorer: Mario Prescott.
• Gib WF 2 – SC Farense 2,
  Goalscorers: Mario Prescott
  and Albert Cumbo. 

Sheffield FC, were Gibraltar’s semi final opponents in what proved to be highly contested game which could have gone either way. Unfortunately for Gibraltar Sheffield FC broke the deadlock with a well taken free kick and managed to hold to win the game despite an impressive Gibraltar performance. 

The final 

was between Sheffield FC and East Algarve Olhao and although Sheffield were considered the better team, East Algarve Olhao won the match after a penalty shoot out. 

Gibraltar then had to face Walking Lions in the third place playoff. Walking Lions were a team of Spanish players from Bilbao who impressed throughout the tournament not only because of their footballing ability and their skills but for their sportsmanship and friendly attitude to all the teams, in particular towards Gibratar. This game was played in the best spirit traditions of football which ensured both teams enjoyed it to the full. In the end an excellent goal from Gilbert Licudi clinched the game for Gibraltar and a third-place finish. 

The Gibraltar Walking Football Committee stated at the end of the tournament:

“The Walking Football Committee  would like to thank all the team at the Gibraltar FA for all their support in enabling Gib WF to participate in international tournaments such as this. Special mention must be made of Gabriel Benatar who was the Sports Therapist assigned by the Gibraltar FA to accompany the team in the Algarve this week. This is not the first time that Gabe has travelled with our Walking Footballers and once again his performance was second to none. His care and attention in the pre match preparations and throughout all the matches was instrumental in ensuring that all our players remained fit for play. 

A very proud achievement in finishing in 3rd place out of a total of 19 teams in the 60+ age category. Gib WF only lost one game throughout the tournament and that was the semifinal. The excellent preparative work and top class management, throughout the tournament, by the team manager Brian Mañasco ably assisted by Roy Stych and Mario Prescott, were crucial and central to the excellent results achieved by the team on the pitch in the Algarve. Once again in our short walking football history we have proved that our teams can compete at international level against the best with ability and confidence. The Gibraltar Flag flew very prominently and proud in the Algarve.”

The Gothia Cup is the world’s largest youth football tournament and for the first time ever a team from Gibraltar will be travelling to Gothenburg, Sweden to take part in the international tournament taking place from Sunday 16th to Sunday 23rd July. 

The tournament has been organized since 1975 by professional football club BK Häcken. The trip has been made possible with sponsorship from Pär Magnus Roos, who became the owner of Europa Point FC just over a year ago. 

The tournament is so much more than football. There will be opportunities for the under-14s team consisting of between sixteen to eighteen players from Gibraltar to meet people from all over the world, including Australia, Africa, South America, Europe, Asia and North America and for them to make lifelong memories and friendships

The youth team will be travelling with two trainers: Kai Soithongsuk and Luke Timmins. When not training or competing, they will have free time to explore what is on offer in one of Europe’s premier event cities and to take advantage of some of the wonderful sights and activities available in Gothenburg. 

Head of Youth at Europa Point FC Martin Falkeborn says that the kids are very much looking forward to the tournament.

Staying Active and Socialising with a Fun Racquet Sport

As we age, it can become more challenging to stay active and find activities that keep us engaged and socializing with others. This is where padel comes in – a fun and accessible racquet sport that’s perfect for older people in Gibraltar.

Padel is a sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, played on a smaller court surrounded by glass walls. The sport has become increasingly popular in Gibraltar in recent years, and it’s not just for young people. Older people are also discovering the joys of padel, with many finding it to be an ideal way to stay active and socialize with others.

One of the great things about padel is its accessibility. The smaller court and slower pace of the game make it easier for older people to play, even if they haven’t played a racquet sport before. Additionally, padel is a low-impact sport that’s gentler on the joints than other sports, making it an ideal option for older people who may have joint problems or other injuries.

Playing padel can also have significant health benefits for older people. The sport is a great cardiovascular workout, helping to improve endurance, agility, and speed. It also requires players to use their brains, improving cognitive function and reaction time. Padel is a perfect way to keep both the body and mind active, which is essential for maintaining good health as we age.

But perhaps the most significant benefit of padel for older people is the social aspect of the sport. Padel is typically played in doubles, which means players are constantly communicating and working together as a team. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and community that extends beyond the court. Many older people find that playing padel provides a great opportunity to meet new people, make friends, and feel part of a community.

Fortunately, there are many places in Gibraltar where older people can play padel. The Gibraltar Padel Tennis Association’s (GPTA) state-of-the-art facility at the Bayside Sports Complex offers coaching sessions and tournaments for players of all levels, including older people. There are also other venues around the Rock that offer padel, making it easy for older people to find a place to play.

In conclusion, padel is an excellent sport for older people in Gibraltar who want to stay active and socialize with others. With its accessibility, health benefits, and social aspects, padel is an ideal way to stay engaged with the world around us, meet new people, and have fun while doing it. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner looking to try something new, padel is a sport that everyone can enjoy regardless of age.

It’s just like tennis, except fun, easy and totally unpretentious.

Where did Padel come from? 

The roots of padel are found in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1969, when a businessman, Enrique Corcuera, adapted his home squash court to integrate elements of platform tennis, which is essentially a slightly edited, smaller version of tennis that can be played year-round.

Playing on the new court, Corcuera created something he called Paddle Corcuera.

As the story goes, Corcuera would invite friends over to play his newly invented game. One of them, Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, a Spanish prince, was so inspired that he decided to build two courts of his own in his home town of Marbella, in 1974.

Half a century on, padel, as it is now known, is played by more than 25 million people worldwide, and is recognised as one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.

Are padel and tennis balls the same?

A tennis ball has a diameter of between 6.54cm and 6.86cm. A padel tennis ball, meanwhile, has a diameter between 6.35cm and 6.77cm.

Where to play padel? 

Gibraltar is luck to have a  number of courts on the here on The Rock. With Padel being the the no2 sport in Spain and over 22,000 courts through out the country there are many options across the boarder. Courts in in Gib can be found at Sandpits Giibraltar (Gibraltar Sandpits Lawn Tennis Club) and the Bayside Sport Complex.  

What are the rules? 

Padel is scored in sets of six games, with two games difference – or a tiebreaker if the game is split. Best of three sets wins the match and the serve is always underarm.

The Benefits of playing

Besides the fact that it’s easier than tennis, there are plenty of health rewards to be reaped:

• • It improves cardiovascular fitness
• • It helps build core, glute and leg strength
• • It improves balance
• • It improves coordination
• • It improves mental focus
• It helps ‘delay mental ageing as it requires constant concentration and change of tactics’
• It’s a great form of social interaction

Padel Gear:

• A padel racket (these should be provided at your local club, but as they’re usually made of plastic and foam, they’re super affordable for any of you who would like to invest in your own)
• Depressurised balls (slightly smaller than tennis balls)
• General activewear
• Padel or clay court shoes (these may not be essential, depending on where you play – standard trainers can also work)

For more information visit: 

http://www.padel.gi/

https://www.gsla.gi/

Resilience Through Sport Sessions Delivered with The Mindspace Project to St Joseph’s Upper Primary School Year 3 Pupils. 

The Gibraltar Football Association and The Mindspace Project teamed up to deliver a resilience through sport session, to the Year 3 pupils, at St Joseph’s Upper Primary School during the March International Window as part of the school’s Project Week.  

The aim of the morning’s activities, which took place at the Europa Point Sports Complex,was to encourage the children to believe in themselves and demonstrate how when approaching anything that they may find themselves faced with, adopting a positive mindset with belief in themselves, they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

The sessions were run by Gibraltar FA Coaches and experts from the Mindspace Project’s Team and began with the children being divided into groups. First up the pupils were involved in various activities that encouraged them to trust each other and work as a team. 

The Mindspace Project then got the children to think about how their different feelings when they achieve something they have been striving for, and conversely and how they feel when they don’t achieve a particular goal or target, they may be setting themselves. With interaction a key part of the sessions, the pupils discussed theirspecific feelings and learned how to train their minds to transform negative thoughts into positive ones and alsohow to help their friends and classmates deal with any of their negative feelings.

The children were inspired to have a positive outlook and to believe in themselves and their abilities. Through the activities and using football as a vehicle they were shown and learned the importance of teamwork and the power of positive thinking. 

Another key part of the morning was the emphasis on the value of perseverance and how it is essential to overcome all obstacles and achieve success. This is something that is key to any footballer becoming successful in his or her career. 

The Gibraltar FA is committed to empowering children through sport and encouraging them to develop important life skills such as resilience, teamwork and positive thinking. The session with St Joseph’s Upper Primary School was a great success and the children left feeling motivated and inspired. The Association is committed to activities like these will continue to work with organisations like the Mindspace Project to do all it can to empower Gibraltar’s youngsters and help them realise their full potential whether it be in a sporting environment or in their general lives. 

The world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship will arrive in Gibraltar for the first time

Gothenburg, 10 February 2023 – The ship Götheborg of Sweden, the world’s largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, today announced that Gibraltar will be the second stopover on the ship’s European Tour 2023. It is the first time the ship visits Gibraltar. Götheborg will be in Gibraltar 6 – 9 April and will be moored at the Mid Harbour Marina.

Götheborg of Sweden is a unique replica of an 18th century Swedish East India Company merchant ship that sank outside of Gothenburg in 1745. The replica took ten years to build and was launched 20 years ago, in 2003. In 2023, the ship is sailing in Europe and invites people to sail along as deckhands on board or visit the ship while in port.

Coming from Sète in the south of France, Gibraltar will be the second stopover on the European Tour 2023. After the stopover in Gibraltar, a long and adventurous sailing leg through the Straights of Gibraltar, along the coast of Portugal and across the Bay of Biscay is waiting.

“We are delighted and proud to welcome the magnificent ship Götheborg to Gibraltar for the very first time”, said Vijay Daryanani Minister for Business, Tourism & The Port – HM Government of Gibraltar. ” We are now looking forward to the opportunity for visitors to board and experience the Götheborg before she sets out through the Straits of Gibraltar to head north.”

The ship will be moored at the central location Mid Harbour Marina and will be open to the public during its stay in Gibraltar.

“ We have passed Gibraltar on two occasions before; last year after our stopover in Malaga and in 2007 on our way back to Sweden from China. Now we are excited to finally make an official stopover in this iconic place.”, said Kristoffer Bennis, Expedition Director at Götheborg of Sweden.

Last year, Götheborg of Sweden created great attention during her expedition. She made 13 stopovers in eleven countries across Europe. More than 60,000 people visited the ship during the different stopovers, and 500 people sailed with the ship as deckhands. One of the most noticed and publicised stopovers was London, where thousands of people greeted the ship as she sailed up the Thames and passed Tower Bridge.

Possible to sail along as a deckhand

As Gibraltar is announced as the second stopover on the European Tour 2023, the possibility to apply to sail along as a deckhand on board on the first and second sailing legs, from Barcelona to Sète, and Sète to Gibraltar, are opened up. A longer sailing leg consisting of the first six weeks of sailing has previously been published, with the possibility to sail along for free. With separate sailing legs being published, it is now possible to join just one sailing leg as a paying deckhand.

To sail the ship, a crew of 70 people is needed. About 20 persons are professional crew. The other 50 are deckhands, who are members of the public that sail along for the adventure, experience, and opportunity to learn how to sail an 18th century ship.

European Tour 2023

Götheborg will depart from Barcelona 20 March 2023, and head for its home port Gothenburg in Sweden where it will play a central part in the city’s 400-year jubilee at the beginning of June. The ship will make six stopovers during the 2023 expedition, and will invite visitors on board in ports, as well as offer the opportunity for people to sail along and experience sailing an 18th century ship.

Short facts: The ship Götheborg – history

Götheborg is a full-sized replica of an 18th century ship, that was owned by the Swedish East India Company, and that ran aground and sank outside of Gothenburg in 1745. In 1984 marine excavation of the original ship Götheborg was initiated and in 1995 the building of a new Götheborg was started. Eight years later, in 2003, the ship was launched, and between 2005-2007 the ship sailed the historical route to Asia and back. After that several expeditions around Europe were carried out, the latest one in 2015. In 2021 the ship sailed from Gothenburg to Stockholm and back, and in 2022 the ship sailed in Europe.

Gibraltar FA February Mid-Term Camp proves another overwhelming success. 

With the February mid-term break now a feature in Gibraltar’s annual educational calendar, the Gibraltar FA’s Youth Development team set up a camp for children of all footballing abilities up to the age of 12 during the recent school holidays.

The camp run sessions every morning (expect the bank holiday Monday) during the February school holidays, at the Victoria Stadium, and saw over 300 children attend daily. 

Split into their school year groups, from Reception right up to Year 8, the children were able to enjoy fun themed football, mixing learning and competitive sessions, with the emphasis on enjoyment, all run by Gibraltar FA Coaches. 

In a change to recent camps, the mid-term camp was split into two with the younger children (aged to school year 3) taking part in the first of the morning sessions, and the older children (Years 4-8) attending the second session of the day. 

The camp also proved an excellent learning opportunity for the Gibraltar FA’s young new coaches, who were paired up with a more experienced colleagues to run the sessions allowing them to gain valuable experience. 

Additionally, amongst the coaches were current Gibraltar Internationals, such as Goalkeeper Dayle Coleing, all of whom proved to be a huge hit with all of the youngsters at the mid-term camp.  

The Gibraltar FA’s Youth Football Coordinator, Tiago Costa ,was thrilled with the way the week went, stating: 

“It has been a really good camp. We made some changes to our usual format in relation to splitting the camp up into two sessions but importantly, the kids have loved it, they have enjoyed it and they have all had fun which is the main thing! We are already planning ahead and looking forward to our Easter Camp which will take place in the next set of school holidays, and we can’t wait to see all of our young stars once again enjoying their football!”

A busy Start to 2023 for Gibraltar’s Referees and Match Officials 

Gibraltar’s Referees and match officials held their annual five-day FIFA Winter Camp, in January, on the Rock.

The Winter Camp, part of the continuous development of the Associations Refereeing Teams saw all Gibraltar Football League Match Officials taking part as well as selected other Gibraltar Referees and Referee Observers.

FIFA Referee instructor Alan Snoddy delivered technical presentations on incidents including upper body challenges, handball, persistent player misconduct and holding offences.

The five-day camp also focussed on the physical aspect of refereeing with FIFA Refereeing Fitness Instructor, Simon Berivik with YoYo/Ariet assessments, Sprint tests carried out alongside Fitness Theory and Analysis sessions.

Match situations that have arisen throughout the current season in the Gibraltar Football League were presented by the Gibraltar FA’s Refereeing Department as well as video analysis of three specifically arranged friendly matches that formed part of the camp.

This year, guest speakers featured prominently starting with Nadine Pardo-Zammitt and Siobhan Gregory who delivered a presentation on International Netball umpiring and the setup at the Gibraltar Netball Association

Current Gibraltar international, Scott Wiseman, was also a guest speaker at the camp, talking to Gibraltar’s Referees about a player’s perception of a referee and an officiating team.      

Speaking about the FIFA Winter Camp, the Gibraltar FA’s Referee Manager, Adrian Bacarisa, stated:

“Once a year we take the opportunity to hold a FIFA MA Course for referees. This is the fifth time that we have held such a FIFA supported training camp which has been held either abroad or in Gibraltar. These camps provide referees, assistant referees, referee observers and selected lower category referees the opportunity to live as a team spending five days together sharing experiences and team building. The camp also exposes them to more professionalism as we work on getting our match officials to be better and minimising mistakes.

This year,  a number of guest speakers took us through their own expertise providing a variety of topics increasing the knowledge and awareness of our match officials. I would also like to thank Gibraltar FAs U17 & U19 teams, FCB Magpies, Glacis Utd, Manchester 62 and Europa Point for providing teams to play friendly matches during this training camp.”

Gibraltar Match Officials FIFA Listed for 2023

Gibraltar has once again had four of its Match officials FIFA listed for 2023. The four match officials who have gained their international status are:

• Referee: Jason Barcelo

• Assistant Referees: Michael Mascias and Daniel Gomez

• Futsal Referee: Zyl Sheriff

FIFA listing means that the officials are able to officiate in International and European competitions.

All four were presented with their FIFA badges for 2023 by the Gibraltar Referees’ Committee Paul Grech and Gibraltar FA Referee Manager Adrian Bacarisa at last weekend’s Winter Camp.

International recognition is the pinnacle of every referees career and shows how much room for progression and development there is in perusing a career in refereeing in Gibraltar.  Anyone interested in becoming a referee can visit www.gfarefereeing.com and start their journey in becoming either a football or Futsal Referee.