Young athletes urged to venture beyond GSSE

Giselle Camilleri and Rachid Chouhal have plenty of experience when it comes to GSSE competition and both will represent the country in Luxembourg this month. In this article, the two track veterans share their experiences and views on the Games with Valhmor Camilleri

Rachid Chouhal is by far one of the most successful active athletes when it comes to the Small Nations Games.

In fact, the 38-year-old sprinter has been an ever-present in the Athletics Malta selection since making his first appearance in Liechtenstein in 1999 where he won a bronze medal in the 4x100m.

That was just the start as Chouhal embarked on an impressive career in GSSE, going on to collect an impressive 17 medals – three gold, eight silver and six bronze.

Chouhal is certainly not finished yet as he is warming up for his eighth Games appearance and he has already set his sights on more medals.

“My desire for winning never wanes,” Chouhal said.

“Some may say I’m at the twilight of my career but I’m still keen on winning more medals. I will compete in the long jump in Luxembourg but my objective is to help the 4x100 team get home first for the gold medal.

“This year we have one of the strongest line-ups ever. For the first time since 2005, we have a group of sprinters with sub-11 seconds this season and that puts us in a strong position.

“With a six-lane track available we will have to qualify to reach the final in Luxembourg but we are focused and nothing will be distracting us from our aim.”

Chouhal still rates the GSSE as important but admits that with better management it’s time the young generation lift the bar higher in international competition.

He said: “The Games are an ideal launchpad for us on the international scene. Other small nations like us have been through all this before, however, and now they’re dedicating most of their resources for more prestigious events such as the European or World Championships.

“Still, I believe that we need a change in direction in terms of how we manage young athletes. We need long-term plans coming into effect where the new ones test their potential at the GSSE and then move on from there.

“To achieve that we need a thorough professional approach and, more importantly, a more qualified level of coaches.”

Like Chouhal, Giselle Camilleri also donned the Maltese colours at the Liechtenstein Games in 1999.

She has two GSSE bronze medals in her cabinet, the first in the home Games of 2003, when she placed third in the 5,000m, and the other nine years later in Cyprus in the same race.

Two years ago, Camilleri came agonisingly close to increase her medal tally in the Games when she lined up in both 5,000m and 10,000m races.

However, on both occasions she just missed out on a place on the podium and had to be content with a fourth place.

This time, Camilleri is hoping she can go at least one place better and the early indications look pro-mising according to the long-distance runner who is currently based in France.

“Really, I don’t think I was lucky in terms of medals in GSSE,” the 39-year-old said.

“I made my debut in 1999 and throughout all these years I only managed two bronze medals. Two years ago I was back on track after having a baby and I was not in the best shape even though I was close in both long distance races in Schaan.

“This time I’m expecting things to improve as I have been running very well lately. In fact, earlier this month I won a 5,000m race in France in a meeting of over 8,000 runners.

“Besides, I also underwent a few scientific tests which all showed that I’m in a good shape.

“Again, I’m fully committed and I will give absolutely everything I have for my country.”

Past experience

For Camilleri this will be her fifth GSSE. Throughout the years she has seen enough to give her own judgment on whether these Games should remain the pinnacle for local athletes or not.

“I think that the GSSE is a good start for those in the early days of their sporting careers,” Camilleri, who is planning to compete in the mountain running Euro Cham-pionships this summer, said.

“The Maltese Olympic Com-mittee provides a lot of assistance in the run-up to the GSSE, and rightly so as we can win medals in this arena where other foreign athletes are also involved.

“But, I think technical assistance should continue even after the Games are over. There are other competitions where our young athletes can shine but sometimes the support needed to step up their progress is not there.

“It would be great for the ones coming up to widen their horizons and go for different challenges.

“However, they have to be monitored throughout the entire year and not just when important dates like the GSSE come up.”