The Malta Canoe Union (MCU) has been accepted as a full member of the International Canoe Federation.

This achievement places Malta on the international canoeing map and should open new opportunities for local canoeists.

Two events, the cycling/canoeing biathlon and the annual Christmas dinner, which included the traditional MCU annual awards, brought the curtains down on the association's activities for 2002.

The biathlon, held on December 8, consisted of a nine-kilometre bike ride from Ghar id-Dud, Sliema to Marsamxett. It was followed by a 10km paddle in Marsamxett harbour.

The bike race started with Gerald DeGaetano taking the lead, followed by Julian Mamo and Alex Rizzo.

Mamo encountered a few hitches on the way which prevented him from closing the gap on his front competitor.

DeGaetano started out on his kayak around three minutes ahead of Mamo, having taken just under 20 minutes to complete the bike segment, free from mishaps.

The sea conditions were reasonably good for sea kayaks with a Northwest blowing at Force four. Mamo chose to compete in a lighter kayak and found the going hard in the strong sea currents.

He lost a further four minutes on DeGaetano, who ultimately won by seven minutes in 1:17.12, thus confirming his impressive improvement during 2002.

MCU Awards

The annual Christmas Dinner was held at Inspirations, St James Cavalier.

The voting for the MCU annual awards rewarded the following members:

Canoeist of the year: Gerald DeGaetano.
Novice of the year: Steven Polidano.
Coach of the year: Sandra Azzopardi.
Junior of the year: Alan Mamo.
Official of the year: Peter Zammit.
Event of the year: Manoel Island.
Special appreciation award: Joe Borg.

The MCU is now preparing for its flagship event, the Captain Morgan National Canoe Races that are being held on the morning of Sunday, March 30. Races start from The Strand, Sliema close to the Captain Morgan boats.

More details can be obtained from the MCU website www.mcu.org.mt