The Malta Amateur Athletic Association is once again teaming with the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) to organise the World Athletics Day over the three days commencing on Friday 11 May when this day shall be devoted exclusively to school participation.
In fact this world-wide event has existed for over 10 years and has developed considerably to include, as from last year 2006, the direct participation of school children with the valuable assistance of the local school authorities in each of the member federations of the IAAF.
This day has now become the main means of promoting the sport of athletics among youngsters, who will be all participating together albeit in their respective national environments.
As an innovation on 2006 the Malta Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA) has this year the full corroboration of the Ministry of Education to organise this event on Friday 11 May as an inter-schools athletic meeting, with invitations forwarded to all State Colleges as well as to Church and Private Schools.
This year participation is expected to exceed handsomely the over 200 participants that took part in 2006 when 15 different schools, seven of which girls’, spent an enjoyable morning at the Matthew Micallef St John Athletic Stadium at the Marsa.
The athletic meeting will start at 9am with registrations and is expected to finish at about 12.30pm. Students participating must have been born either in 1992 or in 1993. The programme will include events on the track – two sprints, a hurdles race and a middle distance event while the field events will include the jumps and three throwing events, the discus, shot and javelin throws.
To ensure the smooth running of the meeting each student registered will be allowed to do one track and one field event and each school may enter a maximum of three students per event.
With a program covering nine events per gender each school can technically register as much as 27 different students or 54 students if the school is a mixed gender establishment.
The full programme, information and registration sheets are being currently circulated to all schools and entries will be accepted at the MAAA headquarters or on e-mail to [email protected] by not later than Friday 4 May, to ensure the timely drawing up of start lists and other paperwork. The IAAF has made available advertising posters which a Council Member, Ms Valerie Farrugia, will be promoting directly in the days following the Easter holidays.
Prizes by the MAAA to the first three athletes in each event will be supplemented by specially produced commemorative tee shirts awarded to the first finishers. Furthermore the School with the highest number of winners shall also receive a special trophy presented by the Malta Amateur Athletic Association.
Further information may be obtained by contacting Anthony Fava on 79261658 or on e-mail [email protected].