The Malta Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA) will be hosting the forthcoming European Athletics Convention next month at the San Gorg Corinthia Hotel.
It will be the sixth international event being organised by the MAAA since the year 2000. The others were the European Veterans road running championships in 2001, the European Throwing Challenge in 2003, the European Coaches Congress, also in 2003, the European Athletics Calendar meeting in 2007 and the European Team championships in 2010.
MAAA president Anthony Chircop said some of the world’s top officials, including former stars Sebastian Coe and Sergei Bubka (now IAAF vice-presidents) will be attending the event between 11 and 13 October. EAA president Hansjong Wirz will also be in Malta for the convention.
Other well known personalities, among them Valery Borzov, Lyn Davies and Gabriela Szabo, all of them past Olympic medal winners, will be attending the convention.
The convention will bring together presidents, secretaries, chief coaches and marketing managers of all federations or associations in Europe. There are 50 member countries in the European Athletics Federation.
Chircop said 250 delegates have already confirmed their participation. “We expect at least another 20 to confirm their presence here. Usually such conferences are attended by around 250 to 280 persons,” he added.
He added it was an honour for the local association to be hosting such an event – the second high-profile meeting in five years. He went on to say that Malta had won the bid – also contested by Estonia - by 26 votes to 14.
One of the main topics on the agenda will be a discussion on the Calendar meeting, scheduled for 12 October. Member federations will decide on next year’s international programme, including indoor and outdoor meetings and the cross-country championships.
The convention will include a High Performance Forum for head coaches, a meeting of the Education Committee and a full one-day Member Federation Leaders Forum.
The EAA convention will also feature a series of working groups such as the athletes’ commission, the Euro Meetings general assembly and meetings involving officials from the Balkans Athletics Association, Nordic countries, head coaches and the association of the Small States of Europe.
Chircop said the EAA is now urging its members to give more importance to Mass Participation events like long distance running, fun runs and walking.
The convention will be concluded on Saturday 13 October with the Athletes of the Year Awards and the Rising Star Awards. These are to be announced during a special presentation to be held at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta.
The selection of the winners is made through a popular poll organised through the website of European Athletics for all member federations, the media and the general public. Among the favourites for these Awards are Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah of Great Britain.
A relatively new body, the Mediterranean Athletics Union, which was set up last year, will hold its executive meeting a day after the conclusion of the event.
Chircop thanked the various bodies who have co-operated with the MAAA in staging this event, among them the Maltese Council for Sport, the Ministrry of Finance, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Education, especially through PS Clyde Puli, who is responsible for sports, Air Malta and Lufthansa Airlines.