Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1009910
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 AUGUST 2018 21 PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SALIBA ATHLETICS Agones Torq 5k proves to be a crowd puller Tara Abdilla, Drew Lang take the honours THE recently held Agones Torq 5k Trail Run was a crowd puller, attracting over 140 registrations in what is normally considered an 'off season' race. Trail Running has become an Agones SFC trademark. Trail Running was a relatively un- known discipline until a few years ago when a group of en- thusiasts started meeting up and discovering rugged and often ex- posed scenery in Malta. The Torq 5k Trail Run held in the scenic outskirts of Gudja vil- lage proved how much the sport is growing. Athletes joining the fray were seasoned road athletes as well as trail run veterans as well as complete newcomers to the sport. Winners of the Race were Tara Abdilla and Drew Lang – both road running veterans. Abdilla discovered trail running earlier on this year when she took part in the Trail Run Series organised by Agones SFC and was the over- all winner. Abdilla won the race comfortably with a 2 minute 16 second advantage over Dzintra Grech, who also had a good trail running season. Runner Paula Briffa is seasoned road runner but a newcomer to trail. Drew Lang needs no introduction lo- cal athletics circles but this was his first trail running appearance. Lang had tough competition from Pierre Chicco but Lang had the better of him for a mere three seconds. Third on the podium was Natalino Farrugia. "Trail running is relatively in- expensive sport, all you need is a good pair of trail running shoes and off you go. Trail runs and races are off the beaten track so it takes people away from the daily rat race and chaos that we nor- mally live in, so that is why we are seeing an increase in participa- tion", explained Warren Muscat, President, Agones SFC. "We are seeing new faces everytime and our weekly trail runs are always made up a good group of run- ners". The Agones SFC Torq 5k was supported by Torq and was held under the auspices of the Malta Amateur Athletics Association. Prizes were given to winners and top runners in each Age Group at the end of the race. La Salle AC was the winner of overall Female and Male team events. For more information on Ago- nes SFC and their events please visit http://www.agones-sfc.eu/ or visit their Facebook page. Agones SFC Torq 5k Results Males Females 1st Drew Lang (17:51) Tara Abdilla (19:00) 2nd Pierre Chicco (17:54) Dzintra Grech (22:16) 3rd Natalino Farrugia (18:09) Pauline Abdilla (23:02) FIFPro complains of insufficient break for World Cup players GLOBAL footballers' union FIFPro says that at least 15 World Cup players have taken part in UEFA club competi- tions less than four weeks after returning from Russia, leaving without a sufficient close season break. The union reiterated its call for a mandatory rest period of at least four weeks between the final game of one season and the start of pre-season training for the next. "Players are coming under too much pressure, caught between the needs of their clubs and their own personal well-being," said the union in a statement. "While FIFPro understands the financial implications of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for clubs, the health of these play- ers is being put at risk because of such a congested match schedule." The group stage of the World Cup in Russia, which was officially part of last sea- son, finished on June 28 while the final was played on July 15. The first round of qualify- ing for this season's Champi- ons League began on July 10, meaning that the two seasons in effect overlapped by a few days. Iceland's Arnor Traustason played — and scored — for Swedish champions Malmo in a 3-0 win away to Kosovar side Drita in a Champions League qualifier on July 10. Serbia World Cup squad members Nemanja Radonjic and Milan Rodic played for Red Star Belgrade in a Cham- pions League qualifier on July 11 and compatriot Vladimir Stojkovic played for Partizan in the Europa League the fol- lowing day. While clubs from smaller leagues are already involved in European qualifiers, big clubs are on lucrative tours abroad. On Sunday, Manchester United manager Jose Mour- inho said his team's World Cup participants should con- sider cutting their holidays short to help the depleted team in the opening stages of the Premier League season. Several players from Unit- ed's first-choice starting line- up, including Frenchman Paul Pogba, Belgian Romelu Lukaku and Englishman Jesse Lingard could miss the open- ing league fixture against Leicester City in less than two weeks' time. England defender Phil Jones and forward Marcus Rashford are expected to return early to help prepare for the start of the season. Mourinho, frustrated af- ter seeing his side lose 4-1 to Liverpool in the US on Satur- day, has suggested that others should do the same.