Matthew Abela
| Matthew Abela | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Country | Malta | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 March 1999 Pietà, Malta[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Men's singles & doubles | |||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 149 (MS 5 February 2019) | ||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | 195 (MS 8 June 2021) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||
Matthew Abela (born 18 March 1999) is a Maltese badminton player affiliated with Paola badminton club. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Men's singles.[2]
Career
Abela started playing badminton when he was 5 years old. His father, a Badminton coach, would bring him along to training sessions.[3] He trained at the Paola badminton club, and entered the Maltese national team foe the first time in 2011. He won his first U19 national junior title in 2011, and by the end of 2019 had collected eleven U19 national junior titles.[1][4] He made his international debut in the junior level tournaments in 2013, and to improve and with the intention to improve his game to become a better badminton player, he joined Badminton Europe's Centre of Excellence, based in Holbæk, Denmark, in September 2017.[1][3]
By 2021, Abela had won six men's singles title and one mixed doubles title at the Maltese National Championships.[4] He was selected to participate at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, with partition granted through the IOC Tripartite Commission (invitation places).[5][6] In doing so, Abela became the first badminton player to ever represent Malta at the Olympics.[7]
He competed for Malta at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England playing doubles alongside Sam Cassar.[8]
Competing at the South Africa International in 2024, he won gold in the Men’s Doubles together with his doubles partner Maxim Grinblat, defeating Dorian James and Robert Summers in three sets in the final.[9]
Personal life
Abela is a fan of Liverpool F.C. and has stated his favourite ever player is Steven Gerrard.[10]
Achievements
BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title, 3 runners-up)
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kampala International | Maxim Grinblat | Brian Kasirye Muzafaru Lubega |
15–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2023 | Uganda International | Maxim Grinblat | Brian Kasirye Muzafaru Lubega |
Walkover | Runner-up |
| 2024 | Botswana International | Maxim Grinblat | Agil Gabilov Dicky Dwi Pangestu |
8–21, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2024 | South Africa International | Maxim Grinblat | Dorian James Robert Summers |
10–21, 21–19, 22–20 | Winner |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
- BWF Future Series tournament
References
- ^ a b c d e "Matthew Abela". development.badmintoneurope.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Badminton - ABELA Matthew". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ a b Lollike, Emma (10 August 2017). "Matthew Abela joins the Centre of Excellence". www.badmintoneurope.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Badminton Malta". badmintonpeople.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
- ^ "ABELA Matthew". Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Matthew Abela is going to Tokyo: It is truly an honour for me". BadmintonEurope. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Muscat, Michela (4 June 2021). "Matthew Abela Will Be The First Badminton Player To Represent Malta At The Summer Olympics". bay.com.mt. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: Badminton duo Abela-Cassar proceed to next level". Malta Today. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Falzon, Chris (12 December 2024). "Novembru mill-aqwa għall-Badminton". TVM News (in Maltese). Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Sommer, Emilie (19 March 2020). "Get to know Matthew Abela". badmintoneurope.com. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
External links
- Matthew Abela at BWFBadminton.com
- Matthew Abela at BWF.TournamentSoftware.com (archived)
- Matthew Abela at Olympics.com
- Matthew Abela at Olympedia