Zurrieq Wolves A.S.C

Another success for Alfred Debono in Lisbon.

Alfred Briffa (834) and Alfred Debono (835)

In windy and rainy conditions the 23rd edition of the Lisbon marathon was held on Sunday, December 6th. In this marathon 2 veteran athletes from Zurrieq Wolves took part among thousands of runners. The Maltese athletes are Alfred Debono and Alfred Briffa. With his 61 years, Debono claimed a victory in his over 60 category with a time of 3hr 08m 29s while Briffa finish the race in a time of 3hr 55m 26s.

Debono is making our club proud and the dedication he has for long distance running is helping him achieve these prestigious results

Well done guys!

Sunday 29th November was another special day for Zurrieq Wolves AC as they claimed the top spot on the podium of the 19th Malta International Challenge, 26.2 miles across three days. With Jonathan Balzan and Brian Magri set to claim the first two positions, the attention on the last day of the Marathon turned to the 'friendly' battle between Zurrieq Wolves runners Joseph Saliba and Joseph Abdilla for the last place on the podium. Saliba started the final race with a second advantage, however both currently enjoying good moments in their running career, they both know that they have all that it takes to claim the reamining notch.

Abdilla crossed the finish line six seconds earlier than Saliba on the final day, to win third place a margin of 5 seconds.
It was a "friendly" victory as later both were on the podium alongside Mario Grech and Adrian Mifsud, to claim the Team's Award with an aggregate time of 7hr 45min 20sec. Zurrieq Wolves placed first followed by St Patricks AC and Mellieha AC.

Apart from being another achievement to the athlete's themselves, Zurrieq Wolves AC club secretary Tony Barbara, was pleased with the result. Barbara reminded that the club is currently performing according to earlier predictions, as this follows the win of the MAAA's Road Running League Cross Country, and the Maxim International Zurrieq Half Marathon. He showed his appreciation to Vince Ghigo, Jesmond Bartolo, Alan Cachia, and Simon Lia (who had to skip the race due to an injury) who formed the club's B Team, and claimed 4th place in the Challenge. Barbara mentioned also the other Wolves athletes Brian Vella, Charles Abela, Charles Herd and Paul Fenech who crossed the finish line on Sunday. For Herd and Fenech this was their 19th consecutive participation in the Challenge, even though Fenech is 71 years old and still sets an example to younger generations who like the sport.


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Alessandra Pace
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Ramona Vassallo
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Alessandra Pace kategorija junior 16/19 il-sena atleta li tispecjalizza fil-long u triple jump din is-sena rraprezentat lil Pajjizna fil-loghob ghall-Pajjizi z-zghar gewwa Cipru, Alessandra ikkompetiet fil-long jump b'qabza ta' 5.72 metri li huwa klabb rekord u kwalifikat fil-5 post rispettivament. Alessandra ghandha diversi klabb rekords imma l-aktar wiehed prestigjuz ghamlitu fis-16 ta' Mejju 2009 fit-triple jump b'qabza ta' 11.41 metri fejn kisret r-rekord nazzjonali li kien jappertjeni lil Allesandra stess. Atleta ohra promettenti hafna u li tispecjalizza fix-xott, diskus u javelin hija Ramona Vassallo kategorija youth 14/15 il-sena, Ramona bhal Alessandra ghandha diversi klabb rekords bl-ahjar rekord ikun rekord nazzjonali fix-xott b'tefa ta' 9.71 metri li Ramona wetqitu meta kienet fil-kategorija kadet 12/13 il-sena.

Dawn l-atleti huma frott tal-hidma fi hdan il-klabb u n-nursery taz-Zurrieq Wolves A.C. Li jemmen hafna fil-potenzjal tat-tfal u dan qed jidher bic-car bir-rizultati tajbin li qed jakkwistaw l-atleti zghazagh taghna.

Prosit Neil Brimmer.




	Neil Brimmer

Neil Brimmer atleta li bil-wirjiet li qed jaghmel fil-Marsa track qed juri l-kapacitajiet veri tieghu fejn jidhol giri fil-qosor. Neil huwa atleta li l-girja favorita tieghu hija 400 metru fil-fatt ghal ftit ma rnexielux jikwalifika ghall-loghob tal-pajjizi z-zghar f’Cipru. L-isforzi li qed jaghmel premjawh meta fil-kampjonat nazzjonali fis-17 ta’ Mejju 2009, Neil kiser il-klabb record fl’400 metru b’hin ta’ 51.14s. Nawguraw lil dan l-atleta future mill-aqwa ghax zgur li l-quddiem ser jaghmel unur lill-klabb kif ukoll lill-pajjiz.

Aktar unuri minn atleti taz-Zurrieq Wolves A.C.

Zewg atleti taz-Zurrieq Wolves A.C. Alessandra Pace u Alfred Debono komplew izidu l-unuri mal-lista personali taghhom meta fl’aggregate 5 u fil-kampjonat nazzjonali organizzati mill- Malta Amateur Athletic Association (M.A.A.A) irregistraw tlett reklords nazzjonali. Alessandra Pace (kategorija Junior) ghamlet qabza stupenda fit-triple jump ta’ 11.41 metri u kisret ir-rekord precedenti li kien taghha stess, minn naha l-ohra l-atleta veteran Alfred Debono (kategorija over/60) ghamel zewg rekords nazzjonali, meta fil-5000 metru irregistra hin ta’ 19m 32s u fl’ 10,000 metru irregistra hin ta’ 39m 51s rispettivament. Debono kompla ghaddej bil-wirja pozittiva tieghu, din id-darba fin-nofs maratona ta’ Pisa gewwa l-Italja meta fis-17 ta’ Mejju li ghadda gera distanza ta’ 21.1km u dahal fl-ewwel post fil-kategorija tieghu, Debono irregistra hin ta’ 1hr 26m 27s, flimkien ma’ Debono atleta iehor tz-Zurrieq Wolves Alfred Briffa gera din in-nofs maratona, Briffa rregistra hin ta’ 1hr 46m 24s.

Nhar il-Hadd 26 ta' April l-atleta veteran taz-Zurrieq Wolves A.C. Debono Alfred jerga jissorprendi, meta gewwa Zurich rega kiser ir-rekord nazzjonali tieghu stess fil-maratona fil-kategorija ta' l-fuq minn 60 sena, Debono irregistra hin ta' 3hr01m06s fejn spicca wkoll fl'ewwel pozizjoni fil-kategorija rispettiva, Debono gie premjat bil-midalja tad-deheb kif wkoll bosta premjijiet ohra. Flimkien ma' Debono grew 2 atleti ohra tal-Wolves li huma Mario Grech li ghamel hin ta' 2hr55m09s u Doreen Vella li ghamlet hin ta' 3hr01m13s li huma l-ahjar hinijiet rispettivi taghhom. Debono kellu stagun mill-aqwa meta fiz-zmien 5 xhur gera 2 maratoni u 2 nofs maratoni, hu spicca dejjem fl-ewwel post fil-kategorija tieghu u fin-nofs maratona ta' Verona kiser ir-rekord nazzjonali b'hin ta' 1hr25m25s.

Fl-istess gurnata imma f'post differenti 4 atleti taz-Zurrieq Wolves kienu f'Rieti gewwa l'Italja biex jigru n-nofs maratona. F'gurnata imsahba u umdita li tlahhaq it-80% l-atleti Maltin taw wirja stupenda meta Joe Saliba spicca fit-tieni post b'hin ta' 1hr14m32s, warajh dahlu Adrian Mifsud 1hr16m50s li dahal fir-raba post, Melvin Mifsud 1hr17m02s li dahal fil-hames post u Simon Lia 1hr18.10s li dahal fis-sitt post rispettivament. L-atleti Maltin rebhu l-kompetizzjonijiet tat-timijiet kif ukoll gew premjati skont il-pozizjonijiet u l-kategoriji rispettivi taghhom.

Alfred Debono, Alfred Briffa, Pawlu Camilleri and Doreen Vella.

As a veteran athlete – or masters as is the trend to call them these days – that he manages to approach his sport with such energy and dedication is an honour to him as well as an example to the rest of us. Particularly as he seems to keep on improving. Last November, at the Firenze marathon, the Zurrieq Wolves athlete broke the national record for the over-60 category over the marathon distance as well as coming home in first place among athletes of his category.

An excellent result but clearly not one that has dimmed in him the desire to keep on improving. Because last Sunday, thanks also to almost perfect weather and and a fantastic route, Debono once again repeated his success this time in Verona and over the half-marathon distance when he set a new national record – 1:25:26 – as well as winning his age category.

Taking part in this event alongside Debono there were three other athletes from the Zurrieq club namely Pawlu Camilleri (1:24:48), Doreen Vella (1:24:47) and Alfred Briffa (3:48:38).

Zurrieq Wolves AC makes them two out of two

The Zurrieq Wolves team that won the M'Scala road relay race held on January 24th, 2008. Melvin Mifsud, Adrian Mifsud, Joe Abdilla and Neal Brimmer

After winning the men’s team event in the Qawra 10Km race held on January 11th, The Zurrieq Wolves Club achieved another prestigious result by winning the men’s category in the MAAA Road Relay that was held on January 24th ,thus winning the men’s team events in the first two races of the year. Thanks to these results Zurrieq Wolves stared the year as the top road running team when it comes to the men’s category.

In the Road Relay, Joe Saliba and Simon Lia, two of the best Zurrieq Wolves runners where unavailable on the day but the team composed by Adrian Mifsud, Melvin Mifsud, Neil Brimmer and Joseph Abdilla managed to beat stiff opposition from the Mellieha AC, St Patricks and Athleta Pembroke teams. These are mentioned in the order of final positioning. The Zurrieq Wolves victory was achieved in the last leg of the race after the St. Patricks and Athleta Pemboke teams where leading the race in the first stages.

Now the attention is turned to the 10km race which will be held in Attard on the 15th February, a good preparation ahead of the Malta Marathon & Half Marathon which is being held on 1st March.

Thankfully Zurrieq Wolves had done enough to get back to winning ways and start the new year with the right result. Team A composed by Adrian Mifsud, Joseph Abdilla, Melvin Mifsud and Simon Lia have won the race in Qawra by a margin of nearly 3 minutes over Mellieha A.

The rain and stormy weather which had been predicted for the preceding week managed to hold off for the Qawra 10k road race. Instead, moderate winds from North West buffeted runners on Sunday for the latest edition of one of the MAAA’s most popular 10km races.

A total of 109 runners set out from Qawra for the race, which formed part of the MAAA Road Race League. It was a clear-cut one-horse race with defending champion Jonathan Balzan (St Patrick’s), leading from the beginning infront of Brian Magri of Pembroke Athleta. By the 3km mark on the coast road, the two runners were well out in front, a good minute ahead of nearest challenger, Mario Pisani (Pembroke Athleta). Adrian Mifsud, Joseph Abdilla, Melvin Mifsud and Simon Lia and a pack of other 5 runners who seemed to be sticking close together to protect against the winds followed the leading runners.

Balzan, with some elements of his team missing while currently leading the overall classification, has secured his successive Qawra 10k race by crossing the finish line first in a time of 33mins 14sec.

There was an interesting “home” battle in seventh and ninth place with Adrian Mifsud, finishing four seconds ahead of Joseph Abdilla and eight seconds from Melvin Mifsud, crossing the finish line in 35 mins 18 sec. Simon Lia followed in 10th place clocking 35 mins 47sec. It was a good effort that helped our four athletes deservedly winning the team honours infront of Mellieha and Pembroke Athleta. Zurrieq Wolves were represented by 19 athletes, 5 of them women.

Wolves top female runner Doreen Vella placed third in the Women Category with 40.35, followed by Karen Xerri (46.48), Mary Grace Demicoli (47.06) and Rachel Galea (47.22).

The club’s women came second in the team honours behind Pembroke Athleta. In the veteran’s category, Alfred Debono continued to lead the Over 60 with a fine performance, finishing in 40min37sec.

Zurrieq Wolves:
7. Adrian Mifsud (35.18), 8. Joseph Abdilla (35.22); 9. Melvin Mifsud (35.26); 11. Simon Lia (35.47); 19. Mario Grech (38.12); 22. Neil Brimmer (38.22); 23. Anthony Barbara (38.26); 30. Alfred Debono (40.37); 31. Pawlu Camilleri (40.39); 35. Jesmond Bartolo (41.12); 51. Clifton Caruana (43.09); 58. Arthur Agius (45.02); 59. Charles Abela (45.05); 65. Alfred Briffa (46.23); 73. Joseph Garzia (50.50).

cliftoncaruana@hotmail.com

During the Joe Bajada Memorial organized by the Athletics Section of the Athleta Pembroke Sports Club, Zurrieq Wolves young prodigy Alessandra Pace set the new Junior record for the women's triple jump to highlight a successful day. Pace in front of a large presence of parents and other volunteers jumped 11.37 metres, beating the previous record of 11.25 set by Stephanie Alden.

WELL DONE Alessandra!




	Alessandra Pace