MAAA president Anthony Chircop hailed his athletes after their performances yesterday.

He said: "The medals won in the 400m for women and men were a big source of encouragement. Francesca and Martina, as well as Nicolai confirmed their potential while we have found another potential athlete in Mario Debono.

"I am very happy in the circumstances. We will now wait for the results on Saturday and when back in Malta, we will prepare a detailed report on how we can improve athletics in Malta. We have to start planning not just for the next two years, but also for the team to be presented in four years time. We need help to build such a team which will not have to rely on two or three individuals," he said.