The combined team of the Small States of Europe (AASSE) for the European Cup (2nd Division) which is being held in Zenica – Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina between the 23 and 24 June, has now been selected.
The MAAA, which is the selector of the combined team of the Small States of Europe Team, has selected the following local athletes for this year’s European Cup:-
Women – Charlene Attard (100m, 200m & 4 x 100m) Therese Mallia ( 4 x 100m); Francesca (800m ) and Martina Xuereb (400m & 4 x 100m) ; and Lara Scerri ( 4 x 100m).
Men: Mario Bonello (200m and 4 x 100m Relay) , Mario Mifsud (Shot and Discus); Nicolai Portelli (400m and 4 x 100m relay); Mario Debono ( 800m); Rachid Chouhal (Long Jump, Triple Jump and 4 x 100m relay).
Darren Gilford, another athlete selected for this competition, could not join the team due to other commitments.
Other athletes which are expected to join the team in Zenica will be coming from Monaco (3); Liechtenstein (2) and San Marino (5).
The selection of the athletes is based on the performances of the athletes in the GSSE Games held in Monaco a week ago. The AASSE has imposed only one condition on the team selectors which is that they need to select a minimum of one athlete from each of the participation countries irrespective of his/her standard.
Only three athletes could be selected from Monaco which fielded a large team and who also won four gold and four silver medals in the Monaco GSSE Games. This is because only three athletes in the Monaco team are actually legal citizens of Monaco.
The GSSE competition rules allows athletes who had lived for a period of three years in the country as eligible to represent that country. The rules of the European Cup, which are the same of those of the IAAF are different. One can only represent the country of which he is a citizen.
It is worth mentioning that Andorra, Cyprus, Luxemburg and Iceland participate with their own full team independently. So that athletes for the combined team (AASSE) can only be selected from Malta, Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino.
The team will be led by MAAA Asst. Secretary and MAAA Council Member, Joe Gerada.
The teams who will be participating in this year’s European Cup is indeed a formidable one and our athletes will be competing from athletes coming from the following thirteen countries:-
Men: Association of European Small States, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Turkey.
Women: Association of European Small States, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Israel, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Switzerland and Turkey.