When Team Malta was in Monaco for the GSSE games, the two MAAA officials, namely Tony Chircop and Edwin Attard, President and General Secretary respectively, attended three meetings which could have important bearings on the future of local athletics.
The first meeting they attended was with Mr. E. Locatelli, Director of Members Services of the IAAF. The meeting was held at the IAAF Head Offices in Monaco and centered mostly on IAAF courses for both Coaches and Technical Officials.
IAAF coaching courses
Mr. Locatelli explained that the IAAF is currently restructuring IAAF Coaching courses so that there will now be five and not three levels of certification. Under the new structure, which will come into effect in 2008, the Level 1 Course will be based on Kids Athletics, which is designed to give children aged 7 to 10 a strong foundation in the basic skills of the sport but in a non competitive environment.
The current level one course, which gives a general idea of various events will become Level 2 course while the current Level 2, where coaches need to specialise in one discipline, will become Level 3.
It was confirmed during the meeting that the MAAA will organise an IAAF Level One Coaching course in Malta during the first two weeks of September for which the IAAF will send be sending two instructors.
The course will be partly funded by Olympic Solidarity whose assistance was obtained through the good services of the Maltese Olympic Committee. Later on this year, the MAAA is also planning to hold a Technical Officials’ Course for which the IAAF will be send be sending a Lecturer to conduct the said course.
In the meantime it was confirmed, that both Mr Lamine Diack and Mr Pierre Weiss, President and General Secretary of the IAAF, will be attending the EAA Calendar Conference which is being held in Malta in October.
Administrative problems
The second meeting was with Mr Hansjorg Wirz, the President of the European Athletic Association. The meeting centered around administrative problems that the local sport was facing at the moment as well as on technical assistance that the European Association could give to the local Athletic Association for the development of the track facilities when the MAAA assumes the responsibility of the Marsa track facilities.
Mr Wirz, who will be presiding over the EAA Conference in Malta in October, was updated on the progress on the preparations for the Conference by the local Organising Committee.
The third and last meeting attended by Mr Chircop and Mr Attard was the Annual General Meeting of the AASSE (Athletic Association of the Small States of Europe), which was held at the administrative offices of the Louis II Stadium in Monaco.
The meeting, which was also attended by the EAA President, centered mostly on the planned changes in the calendar of events of the European Athletic Association. In particular it dealt with changes in the EAA Competition system with particular reference to the European Cup and the European Championships.
During the meeting a report submitted by the MAAA on the participation of the AASSE in this year’s European Cup was approved. Later on in the meeting, Mr Attard chaired a discussion regarding the participation of the 2007 Combined Team of the Small States of Europe in the 2007 European Cup.
At the end of the meeting, the delegates elected a new Executive Committee. Mr Jonas Egilsson (Iceland), the outgoing President of the AASSE declined to remain in office and proposed Mr Anthony Chircop, who had been the General Secretary of the AASSE for the last six years, for the post of President.
Anthony Chircop was uncontested and was elected President of the AASSE. Dr Alex Bodry (Luxembourg) and Mr. Antonios Dracos (Cyprus) were elected Vice Presidents. Mr. Tony Jaegar (Liechtenstein) was elected General Secretary. Edwin Attard was confirmed as the Selector of the Combined Team of the AASSE.