The Malta Triathlon Association (MTA) recently held its annual general meeting which was held at the main hall of the Mġarr Local Council offices.

In his address, MTA president Manuel Azzopardi mentioned some of the highlights of the 2010 season, in particular the excellent results at the Triathlon Championship of the Small States of Europe.

The fine displays in Liechtenstein earned Danica Bonello Spiteri, Dermot Galea and Mark Zammit a gold medal at the Maltese Olympic Committee Sports Awards.

There were other outstanding performances during the past year not least the podium placings for Malta representatives Keith Galea and Mark Zammit in the Mediterranean Friendship Games, and the second spots for Brian Magri and Fabio Spiteri in the London and Abu Dhabi international triathlons, respectively.

Year 2010 also saw the participation of Maltese triathletes in a training camp held in Cefalu. The initiative materialised through the MOC-CONI protocol.

In his speech, Azzopardi noted with satisfaction the increase in the number of athletes taking part in triathlon races.

This, in turn, has prompted two leading athletics clubs, St Patrick’s AC and Pembroke Athleta, to introduce triathlon sections within their folds, he said.

Azzopardi thanked the MOC and Kunsill Malti għall-iSport without whose help none of the already-mentioned achievements would have been possible.

He also thanked Birkirkara St Joseph SC who joined forces with the MTA to hold various races, Joseph F. Spiteri & Co Ltd, who assisted the association in its major races, the Malta Tourism Authority, Plum Tree Restaurant, Kristal Water and the Mġarr Local Council for their contribution to the sport.

At the end of the annual general meeting, Bonello Spiteri and Magri were presented with the Triathlete of the Year awards – a recognition given to those who perform consistently well throughout the entire season.