Iron Taekwondo League Claims Five Medals Across Albania and Belgium
Coach Ditmir Vodinaj, together with athletes Jean Schembri (left) and Alycia Cassar (right).
Iron Taekwondo League (ITL) delivered an outstanding international performance over the weekend of 14–15 February, competing across two countries, Albania and Belgium, and returning home with an impressive five-medal haul.
With a small but determined squad, ITL showcased resilience, talent and championship mentality on the European stage.
In Tirana, the Maltese contingent was led by coach Ditmir Vodinaj, with junior athletes Alycia Cassar (-63kg) and Jean Schembri (-45kg) competing in two major events:
- 2026 ETU Grand Prix Open Qualification Tournament (E6)
- Top Tirana Open
Day 1 – ETU Grand Prix Open Qualification (E6)
On Saturday, Cassar faced Turkey’s Elif Esmira Ozdirim in the opening round. In a determined and closely contested bout, Cassar narrowly lost to the Turkish athlete, who would go on to win the group.
Schembri encountered a tough Round of 32 draw against France’s G. Azaryan. Despite showing grit and composure, he was eliminated in his opening contest.
Day 2 – Top Tirana Open
Both athletes returned to action the following day at the Top Tirana Open.
Cassar began her campaign in the quarter-final against Greece’s Elisavet Douvri, securing a convincing victory to progress to the semi-final. In a repeat of the previous day’s encounter, she once again faced Ozdirim. Demonstrating clear improvement and tactical growth, Cassar significantly closed the gap. Although she fell short of the final, her performance earned a well-deserved bronze medal.
Schembri advanced directly to the semi-final, where he faced Greece’s Theodoros Giannakakis. In a hard-fought contest, he narrowly missed out on the final but secured bronze — marking an important international podium finish in his junior career.
Meanwhile in Liège, coach Gianluca Barbara led ITL’s junior and senior athletes:
- Czarek Odlanicki Poczobutt (-87kg)
- Fergeson Galea (-63kg)
- Robin Zammit (-55kg)
Barbara also competed in the Masters -80kg division.
ITL’s Fergeson Galea (left) and coach Gianluca Barbara (right).
Fergeson Galea opened in the Round of 8 against Belgian development team athlete Lucas Pierard, earning an impressive two-round victory. In the quarter-final, he faced Gabriel Wilkin in a thrilling contest. A dramatic last-second equaliser in the first round saw the advantage awarded to the Belgian athlete, and despite a close second round, Galea narrowly missed out on a medal after one of the day’s most spirited performances.
Robin Zammit began with a commanding quarter-final win over Ilias Bouaissi of Belgium. In the semi-final against Dutch athlete Imran Bouazzaoui, Zammit staged a spectacular comeback after losing the first round 11–0, winning rounds two and three, sealing victory with a dramatic last-second head kick.
In the final, Zammit faced Souhail Dekhissi in a high-level contest. Despite a strong performance, he finished with a prestigious silver medal.
Czarek Odlanicki Poczobutt advanced via bye to the semi-final, where he met Norway’s Sebastian Thune. In an intensely contested match, the Norwegian edged ahead and would later win the division. Czarek secured a commendable bronze medal finish.
Gianluca Barbara began his Masters campaign in the semi-final against Gaetano Gueli of Korea Club Houdeng (Belgium), securing a dominant two-round victory.
In the final, he faced Dutch standout Norman Hornberger, a rematch from two years ago at the same event. Barbara controlled the bout from the outset, winning the first round 12–0 and closing 14–5 in round two to claim gold.
The victory also earned him the award for Best Masters Athlete of the Division, marking the third consecutive year he has achieved this honour at the competition.
Competing with just four athletes in Belgium, ITL placed an impressive 19th out of 80 teams in the A+B divisions, despite most teams averaging around 15 athletes.
Across both events, ITL secured:
- 1 Gold
- 1 Silver
- 3 Bronze
The club extended its thanks to Belgian organiser Fabio De Simone for his hospitality and professional organisation, as well as to the Albanian Taekwondo authorities and the European Taekwondo Union for hosting the team in Tirana.
With momentum building on the European circuit, Iron Taekwondo League continues to establish itself as one of Malta’s leading taekwondo clubs on the international stage.
