Long and successful it may have been, but the athletics track and field season in Malta still has a final competition to look forward to with high expectations.

This competition has always brought great satisfaction to Athletics Malta because it concerns our younger generation, where results in this category have always been on a par with that of their peers from larger countries.

The event is the European Kids Athletics Games, to be held in the Czech Republic. Brno is set to host over 1,000 young athletes from the best clubs in 15 European countries.

Malta will be represented by 14 athletes aged 13 to 15. In the sprints, Eric Borg Saywell, Andrea Cristiano, Nicholas Mallia and Samuel Zammit will carry the flag for the boys while Nadine and Nicole Gatt, Gabriella Grima, Isabelle Pace, Destiny Vella Busuttil and Robyn Zammit will compete for the girls.

Most of these athletes will also take part in the long jump, as well as the ball throw, shot and javelin. However, in these field events, Malta will also be well served by Bradley Mifsud and Nigel Fleri Soler.

In the middle distance races, Kurt Dalli and Gabriella Saliba are also aiming to do well and emulate other Maltese athletes who have done well in these events in the past.

Athletics Malta has also entered athletes in the inaugural 100m hurdles besides striving to defend its record in the relays, where both teams underwent specialised training under coach Mario Bonello.

Edwin Attard, the general secretary of Athletics Malta, and Anthony Fava, the association’s communications co-ordinator, will be in charge of the Maltese contingent in Brno.