The high level of organisation shown by the Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) during last June's Malta GSSE has not gone unnoticed by the European Athletics Association (EAA).
This is proved by the EAA's decision to entrust the MAAA with the hosting of two prestigious events in the coming months.
In November, the MAAA, this year celebrating its 75th anniversary, will organise the 26th European Athletics Coaches Association (EACA) Congress which will bring together an outstanding panel of experts. The theme of this coaching congress is 'Speed Development'.
On March 13 and 14, the Matthew Micallef St John track in Marsa will be the venue for the fourth Euro Winter Throwing Challenge which should see the participation of the finest athletes in javelin, shot putt, hammer and discus.
Anthony Chircop, MAAA president, said that the EACA Congress, to be staged at the Coastline Hotel between November 7 and 9, will feature the participation of several prominent coaches who will discuss ways and methods how to develop the athlete's speed.
Greek coach Christos Tzesos, mentor of the Olympic 200m champion Konstantinos Kenteris, MAAA level two coach Leandros Calleja and Professor Petar Bonov, of Bulgaria, will be among the participants at the EACA congress.
Germany's Ekkart Arbeit, a leading international expert on throws preparation, will discuss the conversion of power to speed in throws and the translation of this to a high level performance.
Elio Locatelli, a former member of the Juventus FC technical staff, will provide an insight into speed in football while France's Jacques Piacenta, who coached 400m Olympic champion Marie Jose Perec between 1996 and 2000, will explain ways how to prepare elite female endurance sprinters.
Training variations will also be discussed by Britain's Mike McFarlane, coach of British sprinter Dwain Chambers.
EACA president Frank Dick is expected to present to the Congress new initiatives to be adopted by the association to further increase the level of coaching on the continent.
The congress will be opened by EAA president Hansjorg Wirz and Minister for Youth and the Arts, Jesmond Mugliett.
Switching his focus to the European Winter Throwing Challenge, to be held next March, Chircop described the organisation of this event as a massive task.
"This competition is on a different level from the GSSE or the European Veterans' Championships," Chircop said.
"Some of Europe's finest athletes, such as javelin throwers Steve Backley of Britain, and Czech Republic's Jan Zelezny will take part in this challenge. To successfully host such a high-profile competition, we must make sure that our preparations are top-notch.
"Next month, an EAA technical official, Roberto Guidi, will assess the MAAA facilities at Marsa and advise us on any upgrading works that need be undertaken.
"Field events are not very popular among our youngsters and we hope that this competition will entice more children to these disciplines," he added.
Chircop said that since athletes from GSSE countries have little chance of medal success, the MAAA have asked the EAA to set up a competition which will reward athletes from these small federations.
The MAAA president lamented that the association has not found much financial support for this top European competition but is hopeful that the authorities will eventually offer their help. More than 200 athletes are expected to take part in this Winter Throwing Challenge.
Asked to comment on the controversy over the latest doping scandal dogging the sport of athletics, Chircop maintained that the MAAA is committed to fighting this problem.
From next season, athletes taking part in the National Championships will have to undergo several random drug tests, he said.
European Cup bid
Next year, athletes from the MAAA will again take part in the usual international events, starting with the Crystal Palace meeting and the Athens Olympics.
An MAAA contingent will also participate in the European Cup Second Division in Iceland.
Chircop said he had discussed with the EAA the possibility of staging the cup in Malta either in 2005 or 2006. "We hope that by the time we earn the right to stage this competition, the MAAA would have finalised the impending agreement for the management of the track and its facilities with the government," an optimistic Chircop concluded.