Locals test wits against foreigners at Marsa

A litmus test for Athletics Malta today will be the International Invitational Track and Field Meeting at the Matthew Micallef St John Athletic Stadium, Marsa.

In fact, proceedings will be conducted under the critical eye of a European Athletics Technical Official, Malcolm Rogers, who also visited Malta earlier this month ahead of the European Championship to be held here this June.

Meanwhile today's event, now a regular feature on the European Athletics Calendar, has attracted a number of teams and individuals from mainland Europe and the British Isles who will spice up the competition and give the locals a rare opportunity of diversified challenges on home soil.

A Swedish team of 25 athletes and another 20 from Northern Athletics UK form the bulk of the 79-strong foreign contigent, which also includes a representation from the Caribbean, precisely from Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago.

Events like the hammer throw, the 400m hurdles and steeplechase will add further colour to the meeting, as well as for local hopefuls Antonella Chouhal and Marija Sciberras, who are to test their skills at these events.

The sprinters, too, are in for a bonanza, with strong participation in the 100 and 200m events, where Owen Camilleri, fast coming back to form, and other up-and-coming youngsters, are expected to seize the opportunity.

Other better-known names like Mario Bonello, Rachid Chouhal, Charlene Attard, Diane Borg and Lara Scerri will also find good scope to shine, as will Lisa Bezzina, Mark Herrera and Gerald Grech in the longer distances.

As part of this week's festival of athletics, Athletics Malta also held a meeting for its youths and cadets last Wednesday, where both the turnout and the results were equally of merit.

Pride of place must go to Eric Borg Saywell, who yet again bettered the 100m national record for boys (ages 12 to 13).

In perfect conditions, the Allcomers Aloysians athlete sliced off another 11 hundredths of a second to set the new mark at 12.53 seconds.

In the same event for Youths, Thomas Farrugia (Starmax) continued his battle with Luke Bezzina (Allcomers). The latter again triumphed narrowly in a time of 11.88 seconds to continue his quest for glory in the shorter sprint.

Never one to give in easily, Farrugia had his moment in the 200m, where, in a tough battle also involving Myles Richardson of Southern Athletics (UK), he pipped his opponents at the tape to stop the clock on 23.75 seconds, later also winning the 400m with a fine time of 53.82 seconds.