#131: Maltese Taekwondo Athlete Secures Gold In Madrid Masters Open, Earns “Best Male Competitor” and Leads International Camp
ITL coach Gianluca Barbara (-74kg) — an ITL coach and athlete — delivered a standout performance at the 4th Madrid Masters Open, securing gold and being awarded the prestigious Best Male Competitor accolade at the event.
From left to right: Francesco Scarciolla (ITA), Gianluca Barbara (MLT) and Serghei Dominici (LUX).
Held in Madrid on the 2nd May 2026 and featuring masters athletes from over eight countries across three continents, the competition was accompanied by a high-level international training camp.
Some attendees of the International training camp that took place from the 29th April - 3rd May 2026.
Gianluca was personally invited to co-lead the camp by 2025 World Masters Champion Eduardo Lozano. Together, they trained and guided athletes from eight different nations, spanning Europe, North America, and beyond.
Individual Performance
In his semi-final, Barbara secured a great victory over Spain’s Roberto Fernández Pelegrín, winning by “point gap”; meaning the match was concluded before the round time elapsed.
Serghei Dominici coached Gianluca in both fights on competition day.
He followed this with an equally emphatic performance in the final against the United States’ Roberto Arana — a 2025 World Champion from the Taipei Games — once again securing victory by “point gap”.
Gianluca also coached international teammates Serghei Dominici (Luxembourg) and Francesco Scarciolla (Italy) in their own respective fights. Dominici went on to win Gold in the Mens - 58 kg division after an astounding semifinal and final win, while Scarciolla claimed bronze in the Mens -68 kg division.
Scarciolla delivered a standout performance in his quarter-final match but unfortunately sustained a grievous injury that limited his performance in the semi-final, which was fought against Eduardo Lozano (Spain). The result went against the Italian in that match, and Lozano would eventually win gold in that bracket.
Team Combat Triumph
Team ‘Internacional’ claimed gold in the Team Combat (TK4) event on the day.
In addition to his individual success, Barbara played a key role in the team combat event, occupying the - 80 kg position in an international squad comprising:
Serghei Dominici (Luxembourg); - 58 kg
Fran Tellez (Spain); - 68 kg
Johan Lenander (Sweden); + 80 kg
The team delivered an impressive campaign, defeating the United States team in the semifinals before overcoming a strong Spanish side in the final — featuring none other than world champion Eduardo Lozano.
Recognition on the International Stage
World champion Edu Moreno Lozano awarding Gianluca with the ‘Best Male Competitor’ memento.
Barbara’s performances across both individual and team events, combined with his leadership role in the international training camp, culminated in him being awarded Best Male Competitor of the tournament — a recognition reserved for the most outstanding athlete of the event.
Another Milestone for Maltese Taekwondo
This achievement marks another significant milestone for Maltese taekwondo on the international stage, reinforcing Barbara’s position in Europe’s taekwondo masters division and highlighting Malta’s growing presence in elite-level competition. This can also be said for Maltese kids, cadets, juniors and seniors.
Team Spain (red) versus Team ‘Internacional’ (blue) during the final of the Team Combat (TK4) event.
His individual gold medal is his 15th gold over 16 competitions since 2024, with the remaining being silver.
With victories over high-level masters opponents and recognition from some of the sport’s most respected figures, Barbara continues to build momentum as he now prepares to deliver a high-level training camp in Munich on the 23rd May 2026.
Acknowledgements
The Iron Taekwondo League expressed its gratitude to Eduardo Lozano and the Federación Madrileña de Taekwondo for their exceptional hospitality and organisation of both the training camp and competition. Special thanks were also extended to Serghei Dominici and teammate Francesco Scarciolla for their coaching and support throughout the competition day.
From left to right: Edu Moreno Lozano (World Champion, - 68 kg), Johan Lenander (World Vice Champion, - 80 kg) and ITL coach Gianluca.
An additional thanks goes to Johan Lenander, Trinity Tongg Osbourne and the USA Masters team for their care and support throughout the events.
A final thanks is extended to SPORT MALTA and the Maltese Olympic Committee, whose assistance made this venture possible.
To view footage of all fights on the day, you can follow any of the following links:
🟥 Court 1: https://youtube.com/live/t2Ic2flGg3Q?feature=share
🟦 Court 2: https://youtube.com/live/GNFnllfs6hE?feature=share
🟨 Court 3: https://youtube.com/live/kI65tIujwfk?feature=share
And to view Gianluca’s fights, you need to click on court 1 and find fights 105 and 125.
