Monaco a useful exercise for Maltese gymnasts

Monaco 2007 will only be the second time that gymnastics has been included in the sports schedule of the GSSE. The other time this sport was part of the Games was in 1997 in Iceland. On that occasion Malta did not field a team.

Since then, the profile of gymnastics on the Maltese islands has been on the rise and today there are five clubs, all grooming youngsters in this fascinating sport of sheer technique, elegance and balance.

When the Maltese Olympic Committee gave its nod for a gymnastics team to travel to Montecarlo, the Malta Gymnastics Federation appointed Michael Brown and Plamen Angelov, of Bulgaria, to monitor the progress of a small group of gymnasts who were selected to join the national squad.

Angelov is in charge of the girls' team. He admitted that the Games may have come too soon to expect medal success but the experience will be useful.

"In Malta, this sport is still developing," he told The Times.

"Unfortunately, we do not own our training headquarters. Sometimes we end up holding our drills at various clubs around the island.

"Still, given all the limitations we have, I feel the squad did what was expected of them in the build-up to the Games. Talking of success in Monaco is very difficult because there are other nations with more tradition and a better set-up for gymnastics.

"However, I'm looking at the 2007 GSSE as a valuable learning experience for the team. This participation should stand us in good stead for the future."

Brown said that the level of the boys is acceptable as indicated by a series of encouraging results in competitions outside our shores over the past few months.

"In Malta, gymnastics is still in its infancy but the boys are doing great and, personally, I think we rank quite well with other small nations in Europe," Brown said.

"During the past few months, the team travelled abroad on several occasions and returned home with creditable results.

"In the Island Games, for instance, we had two fourth placings which is very good given the high level of participation.

"But, the most important thing for the federation is that the authorities continue to invest in our sport. Without funds we cannot survive. We need to have our own training base. As things stand at the moment it's hard to work on a development plan for the future."

The federation is not relying only on local aid though. Newly-elected president, Roberto De Santis, has already started seeking technical assistance though his extensive contacts abroad.

Italian assistance

A few weeks ago, De Santis signed a contract with the Italian Gymnastics Federation who gave the green light for an exchange programme.

Maltese clubs will benefit from partnerships with clubs in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany. This agreement is expected to come into effect after the Monaco GSSE.

"I think this incentive will be hugely beneficial for the development of gymnastics in Malta," De Santis said.

"Italy is one of the top nations in European gymnastics. Now, the Maltese will be practising with the Italians on a regular basis. This joint programme will help to nurture our talented gymnasts.

"The convention should also help us improve the technical aspect of our sport. The federation's coaches will be travelling to Italy as well to learn more on new methods of training and competition.

"We had a modest start but the future looks bright. This is just the start of our development plans. Now, we feel we do have better chances to take our sport to another level.

"We cannot stop here though. More discussions are needed with the local sports authorities. Their support is of utmost importance."

In Monaco, the Gymnastics Federation will have seven members in the national squad - three boys and four girls. They will compete in team and individual competitions.