On the first weekend of 2013, some of Malta’s best athletes got together in Gozo for their yearly training camp appointment before the start of the season. The team, led by coach Mario Bonello (who has also been shortlisted for this year’s Official of the Year award) spent two days in Gozo analysing some technical aspects of the sprint event which the athletes have been working on over the past months.
The Gozitan athletics community was very proud to have included in this team a number of Gozitan athletes that Mario, together with coach Paul Camilleri, have brought up and are now featuring on the National athletics scene.
Among those in the forefront of this group is Francesco Caruana, the first ever Gozitan athlete to be selected to represent Malta in an International Youth event and at which he earned a silver medal together with his relay team mates. Other promising Gozitan athletes are also participating with success in events at the national level.
Diane Borg, who also forms part of this group of athletes, is a living inspiration for all. Once again she is a finalist for the Sports Woman of the Year which she has already won last year. Mario noted that “despite all the difficulties she went through during 2012, her results even exceeded her performances of 2011.
“The National record Diane set in the 200m in 2012 of 24.14sec is the best ever performance in any event on the track. She also delivered in the 100m when it mattered, going through the preliminary round at the Olympics and then securing her 2nd best ever result of 11.92sec over the same distance in the First round, just 0.03sec shy of her National Record Diane has always delivered when it counted and her team mates always look up to her determination.”
The web site the training group launched prior to the Olympics is yet another feather in the cap for these energetic athletes. At “sprintmalta.com” one can follow updated local and international athletics news.
The training camp was made possible with the help of the Ministry for Gozo, “who very much support the opportunities ATHELTIX Athletics Club is giving to the Gozitan youth. Despite not having a running track in Gozo, the athletes meet regularly throughout the week to train at the horse raining track at Ta’ Xhajma and Nadur Youngsters FC,” the club said.
The annual lunch and presentation of Awards was held on Sunday.