Jovana Reaches the Women’s Semi-Finals at the 2023 NXL European Championships

Players from Malta competed at the 2023 NXL European Championships at Ace Paintball in Dreux, France, with HBI Malta entering Division 3 Xball and Jovana competing with HBI W in the women’s WNXL division.

Held from 30 August to 3 September, the championships brought together teams from across Europe and beyond. For Malta’s players, the trip provided an opportunity to compete on a major international tournament stage.

Two opening wins for HBI W

Jovana’s participation with HBI W was a highlight for our paintball community, with her team securing two victories and reaching Sunday’s semi-finals.

HBI W opened on Friday 1 September with a 4 to 2 victory over Halcyon. They followed that with a narrow 3 to 2 win against Drakaina, giving the team a strong start to the preliminary stage.

A 1 to 4 defeat against Belladonna followed later on Friday, before a 2 to 5 loss against Karma on Saturday. With two wins from four preliminary matches, HBI W qualified for the final four.

One point separates HBI W from the final

Sunday’s semi-final brought another meeting with Drakaina. After HBI W won their preliminary encounter, the rematch was another close contest.

This time, Drakaina took the victory by 4 to 3, ending HBI W’s run just one point short of a place in the final. Drakaina then defeated Belladonna 4 to 2 to become European champions, while HBI W finished fourth out of five teams.

For Jovana, the weekend included a victory over the eventual champions and the opportunity to compete through to the semi-finals of a major women’s tournament. Her participation is an encouraging example of the opportunities available to women from Malta’s paintball community.

A difficult Division 3 campaign for HBI Malta

HBI Malta played four preliminary matches across Friday and Saturday in Division 3 Xball.

The team lost 0 to 4 against Monkey Family, Outlaw Kings and Ronholt Detonation, before scoring a point in a 1 to 5 defeat against Mambang Di Awan.

HBI Malta finished 33rd out of 33 teams. It was a tough weekend, with no match wins, and the results showed the challenge of competing at this level.

Maltese players on the European stage

The championships brought contrasting experiences for our players. HBI Malta faced a difficult Division 3 campaign, while Jovana and HBI W recorded two wins and pushed the eventual women’s champions to a close semi-final.

Thank you to the players, their teammates, and the friends and families who helped make the trip possible. Their commitment made it possible for players from Malta to take part in another international paintball event.