Canoeing team's achievement in Cyprus

The press coverage of the Maltese canoeing team's outstanding representation at an internationally contested regatta in Cyprus needs to be placed in its proper context. These young men and women were not strictly competing on a level playing field as their counterparts invariably have riparian training facilities with dedicated flat i.e. traffic free and fresh water conditions, offering minimum distances in excess of two kilometres whereas our elite athletes train out of a garage a block away from their water which is a constricted and heavily trafficked marina offering no greater distance than approximately 200m in a straight line or a full 500m course with a significant dog-leg. Certainly they are unable to train a full 1000m and one has to consider that when competing on fresh water our athletes are handicapped as they are used to their boats sitting higher in training, consequently their boats will have greater drag and will have different stability characteristics. These are conditions hardly conducive to training elite athletes.

To place in the final heats, however, is an outstanding achievement in itself, faced with international competition.

To place fourth right on the edge of the medal zone and to return home with silver and bronze under such training conditions is a significant statement of the dedication of these young athletes. Far more credit is due and it is hoped has not gone un-noticed. It is now nearly 20 years since the founding members of modern canoeing met on a beach, not long after which Dr Julian Mamo and I suggested to the powers that be that Maltese canoeing could be a potentially medal winning sport, a point amply proven by these young people.

Sadly, rowing has not followed suit despite a head start. I hope that the powers that be will wake up and smell the coffee.

These young athletes deserve better investment and Malta too deserves a purpose built water sports training centre and regatta course.