National team trains in Formia, Itlay

With the focus being the Games of the Small States of Europe due to be held later on in Liechtenstein, the preparation of the National sprints relay team has been very active under coach and Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) co-ordinator Mario Bonello. 

The programme commenced in September 2010 with a number of training camps that were held in Malta and in Gozo.  Thanks to the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) - CONI protocol, the MAAA and the MOC’s Centre of Excellence, the team has lately been in Formia, Italy at the Athletics CONI centre, for a training camp. 

It is the intention of the MAAA and the MOC to be represented with a full complement of relay squads in Liechtenstein, both males and females to contest the 4x100m and 4x400m events. Towards this end a total of 20 athletes are preparing in real earnest and most of whom formed part of the training camp. 

Among the athletes in Italy were the Xuereb twins, interrupting their studies at Middlesex University, as well as Diane Borg, who followed up a good participation at an Indoor event in the U.K. with an equally creditworthy showing at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Paris, where she equaled her seasonal best in the 60m in a time of 7.69seconds. 

The first competitive test for the relay teams will now be at the Malta International Athletics Meeting due in the last week of April but for the present the focus now turns to the Aggregate Meetings, with a full program being held this Saturday at the Matthew Micallef Athletics Stadium.