MIA to organise next EAFC in 2012

The Malta International Airport has won the right to host the next edition of the European Airports Football Championships (EAFC) in 2012.

The agreement was reached last weekend following talks with Hanness Pasquale, secretary general of the European Airports Football Association, at West Ham's Upton Park.

This will be the second time that the MIA has been entrusted with the organisation of this biennial tournament after the one of 2000.

On that occasion, 19 teams travelled to Malta for the competition that was held at the Marsa Sports Ground and the Hibs Stadium.

"Our bid to host the tournament in 2012 has been accepted," Julian Jaeger, MIA chief executive officer, said.

"We expect more than 500 people to visit in two years' time. It will be an ideal opportunity for us to showcase the country as a destination for similar events. We are also hoping to break our own record of 2000 when 20 European airports took part."

Initial plans are already underway for the 2012 tournament.

"We want to attract teams who have never featured in this competition before," Roderick Bajada, Head of HR and Administration at MIA, told The Times.

"We intend to promote the tournament during a general meeting of the Airports Association in the coming weeks. The likes of Fiumicino Airport, for instance, have never fielded a team in this competition."

The announcement arrived at the end of an encouraging display by the MIA team in London last week.

The team, coached by Simon Sultana, reached the semi-finals for the third time in the last four tournaments before bowing out to Vienna 1-0.

Jaeger said: "The players gave their utmost but it was not meant to be. The atmosphere within the group was amazing, also thanks to the way the players, hailing from different entities at the airport, had gelled together in the build-up to this championship.

"Coach Sultana did a great job and so did the MIA staff behind our participation in the championship.

"True, we lost in the semis but at least our player, George Mallia, finished as the tournament's best scorer."

Sultana's squad included experienced players such as Birkirkara's George Mallia, Clyde Camoin, of Ħamrun Spartans, and Sliema goalkeeper Simon Agius.

Sultana has already set his sights on the next edition in Malta. The MIA team has never won the tournament but the coach reckons the long wait could be over in 2012.

"We have to be prepared to win the next one," Sultana said.

"The squad has a very solid base of players on which we can continue to develop this team. Our job will be to stick together for the next two years and, obviously, try to attract more talented players to our fold.

"We have already pinpointed a few players who can be valuable addition to the squad as we want to reach the 2012 championship with the strongest team possible."