Two-time Malta indoor rowing champion Darren Mascena will soon travel to Italy for the Euro Open championships which will be held on Saturday.
This is the sixth edition of the championships with the previous ones being staged in different venues across the continent including Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Dresden.
In all, there will be about 1,000 entries from 20 different countries.
Among the big names taking part are current world indoor rowing champion Paolo Loriato, of Italy, and Belarus rower Pavel Shurmei, world champion in 2005.
Mascena, 27, is a former rugby player and also figured for the Maltese national team in 2004.
He holds the national record for indoor rowing with a time of 6:25.6. In Rome, he will be making his international debut in indoor rowing.