Elite athletes to kick off journey towards GSSE 2023

Despite the setbacks that 2020 has reserved for the Maltese athletics community, the team at Athletics Malta has continued with its ongoing work to raise the profile and level of the sport on our shores and beyond and prepare for the important international objectives of the upcoming years.

While each season brings ample important appointments for Malta’s elite athletes, Athletics Malta said that the long-term objective is now focused on the Games of Small States of Europe to be held on home soil in 2023, an event which for many athletes could be the apex of their career.

“With this target in mind, Athletics Malta has concluded the setting up of a high-performance national team structure. This system will seek to support Malta’s elite athletes in reaching their full potential in time for this event,” Athletics Malta said in a statement.

“With the support of the best and most experienced coaches on the island, a number of event groups have been set up, to ensure a professional guidance providing the best possible pathway to the Games.”

Together with the Maltese Olympic Committee and SportMalta, Athletics Malta’s technical committee is made up of technical director Andy Grech, head coach co-ordinator Mario Bonello and returning Italian coaching consultant Antonio Laguardia.

“Over the past few weeks, Athletics Malta was committed into fine-tuning not only the national team structure but also a serious of ancillary, but important elements, including the adapation of the local calendar of events, allocation of budgets, purchasing of equipment, identification of potential training camps and investment in a sense of comradery to ensure that the 2023 Games will go down in record books,” the local governing body of athletics said.

“Thus, this officially marks the National Elite Athletics team first step on their journey towards the 2023 GSSE Games.”

National squad

4x100m relay men: Jacob El Aida Chaffey, Luke Bezzina, Omar El Aida Chaffey, Kurt Zahra, Steve Camilleri, Warren Zammit, Sean Spiteri, Shardon Cassar, Lloyd Mhiripiri. Coach: Karl Farrugia.

4x100m relay women: Sarah Busuttil, Carla Scicluna, Charlotte Wingfield, Ylenia Pace, Sarah Bartolo, Annalise Vassallo, Rachel Fitz. Coach: Rebecca Sare.

400m/4×400: Luca Farrugia, Graham Pellegrini, Kriestian Micallef, Damien Mizzi, Janet Richard, Martha Spiteri, Marilyn Grech. Coach: Zejlko Aras.

100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles: Daniela Saliba, Rebecca Fitz, Luka Aras, Lamin Saneh, Sarah Chouhal. Coach: Rachid Chouhal.

800m: Christian Luke Chetcuti, Ben Micallef, Luka Farrugia, Matthew Croker, Josepha Marie Micallef. Coach: Xandru Grech.

1,500m plus: Jordan Gusman, Dillon Cassar, Charlton Debono, Luke Micallef, Stefan Azzopardi, Simon Spiteri, Jean Paul Debono, Lisa Marie Bezzina, Mona Lisa Camilleri, Joelle Cortis. Coach: Ivan Roshnov.

Steeplechase development: Imed Ben Moussa, Mark Herrera, Mona Lisa Camilleri, Tar Abdilla, Noah Portelli, Julian Zarb, Stefan Cassar, Kyla Farrugia. Coach: Mario Pisani.

Hammer/Discus: Luke Farrugia, Kyle Caruana, Mariah Zahra, Luca Martini, Mario Mifsud, Karol Spiteri. Coach: Antonella Chouhal.

Shot/Javelin: Bradley Mifsud, Christian Mifsud, Miguel Grixti, Jana Dabic, Mireya Cassar, Kimahri Charles. Coach: Genz Dapi.

Long Jump, Triple Jump, Pole Vault: Ian Paul Grech, Jeremy Zammit, Godfrey Sapiano, Zack Mangani, Claire Azzopardi, Ra-chela Pace. Coach: Jivko Jetchev.

High Jump: Juliette Spina, Ekaterina Rollason, Nathan Saliba, Gary Coker. Coach Vladimir Douchencov.