The Malta Powerboat Federation (MPF) has won a bid to host the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) World Congress in 2010 with a unanimous vote in Gold Coast, Australia, yesterday.

"This is an outstanding achievement for our federation," Teddie Borg, who represented the MPF at the 81st UIM General Assembly, said.

"Remember we have only been accepted as full members last year in Turkey. Since then, we've seen Aaron Ciantar becoming world champion in P1 SuperSport and now we have succeeded in convincing UIM delegates to meet in Malta."

Borg said the unanimous vote clearly shows that the MPF enjoys the trust and solidarity of the UIM, the governing body of world powerboat racing.

"Hosting the World Congress will be a challenge that we will have to tackle professionally to continue winning respect," Borg, the MPF president, added.

UIM head Raffaele Chiulli congratulated the Maltese federation and promised to visit the islands in the very near future.

The decision to hold the World Congress in Malta was also welcomed by P1 chief executive Jim O'Toole, also present in the Gold Coast assembly.

O'Toole announced that next year P1 has a more ambitious World Championship calendar planned, starting with Bahrain in March 2009, probably followed by Italy and Malta.

Apart from the usual races in Spain and Portugal, venues in Ireland and Sweden are also marked in for next year's championship.

Borg said he now hopes that all this will enhance the future of P1 in Malta.