TheMalta Triathlon Association (MTA), together with the B’Kara St Joseph Sports Club, have prepared a busy schedule of races and events for the 2006 season, which will start with the national Duathlon Championship in March and finish with the national Triathlon Championship in October.
This was announced by the President of the Malta Triathlon Association, Emmanuel Azzopardi, during the association’s annual general meeting held at the Cottonera Sports Complex recently.
At the start of the meeting, a minute of silence observed as a sign of respect for Mrs S. Farruga Sacco, late wife of the President of the Malta Olympic Committee, and of Mrs Mifsud Bonnici, mother of Maria Mifsud Bonnici, five times Malta National Triathlon champion. Both passed away recently.
No fewer than 13 events are planned for 2006, with races ranging from super sprints, ideal for beginners, to the gruelling Gozo-Malta Triathlon. However, the main event will be the Triathlon Championship of the Small States of Europe (TCSSE), scheduled for 21 May.
After an absence of two years, the TCSSE will return to our shores, which is where it originated. It was in the year 2000 that the first TCSSE was held here in Malta with the participation of three of the Small States of Europe, namely, Luxembourg, Cyprus and Malta.
In 2003, the International Triathlon Union and the European Triathlon Union both gave international recognition to the TCSSE awarding it the title of an international race. This meant that the winners and runners-up of the race would gain international points for participation in World Championships and the Olympics.
In 2004 the race was held in Cyprus, while this year it moved to Luxembourg, where the participating countries were Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Monaco and Malta.
In 2006 it is hoped that the number of Small States will be increased with the participation for the first time of athletes from Andorra and Iceland.
This would mean that seven of the eight GSSE states will be present, which will, in turn, boost the hopes of the Triathlon Federations in these countries to have triathlon included in the GSSE which, in 2009, are planned to be held in Cyprus.
Preparations for the organisation of the TCSSE in May are already underway, with contacts being made not only with the other Small States but also with the European Triathlon Union, which has promised, as part of its support, to send a Technical Delegate to supervise the race.
The holding of such an event will inevitably place a financial burden on the Association but the MTA officials are confident that, with the backing of the Malta Olympic Committee, the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport and local sponsors, the staging of the event will be the best ever.
Towards the end of the meeting, Franco Azzopardi, Chairman of the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport presented the trophies of the Triathletes of the Year to the winners, Debbie Caruana Dingli and Gordon Camenzuli.
The President of the MTA thanked all those who in any way had helped to make the 2005 season a successful one. In particular he thanked Powerade & Kristal Water, Kee Klamps and Plum Tree Restaurant. He also thanked the Police, Saint James Hospital.