Twin sisters Martina and Francesca Xuereb are planning to pursue their athletics career in the UK as from September after being granted the opportunity to continue their academic studies at Middlesex University in London.
Contacted by The Times yesterday Martina Xuereb said the offer came through their personal coach Mike McFarlane who works at Great Britain's High Performance Centre at Lee Valley.
McFarlane, who has trained world class athletes such as Christine Ohorougu, the world and Olympic 400m champion, first met the Xuereb sisters in 2004 when he visited Malta to conduct a seminar on relay teams. Since then, the Xuerebs have stayed in contact with the high-profile British coach.
Last year, McFarlane was back in Malta to train the athletics team that competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune. Martina and Francesca were in the Maltese athletics squad. On their return from India, they decided they wanted to work with McFarlane on a regular basis and after exploring the possibility of continuing their studies in the UK, they were informed that they could go to Middlesex University.
"This is a dream come through for us," the 18-year-old Martina said.
"It has always been our ambition to pursue our career abroad and we are certainly looking forward to this new experience. At the moment, Francesca and I are doing our 'A' levels and if everything goes well, we will start our Sports Science studies at Middlesex University in September.
"During our stay in London, we will be under the guidance of our coach Mike McFarlane. We will also be able to use the facilities at Britain's High Performance Centre where all the top track and field athletes from the UK train every day.
"This is a big step forward in our career and we are both determined to make the most of it. It's not everyday that you get the opportunity to train in one of the best athletics centres in Europe."
Martina and Francesca also received an offer to pursue their studies and athletics careers in the US after they were contacted by American coach Gavin O'Neill from the Columbia University. However, the two sprinters preferred to move to the UK.
Meanwhile, Francesca and Martina Xuereb, who are currently being mentored by veteran sprinter Mario Bonello, are both looking to regain full fitness ahead of next month's Games of the Small States of Europe.
They are currently undergoing treatment for their injuries and a decision on their participation in Cyprus is expected in the coming days.