Dear friends of masters’ athletics,
we are all waiting to come back to normal life… but today it is not the case.
After we received the reply from Tampere that they postponed our championships to 2022 but for the world masters, we have tried to find another location that might offer us a structure, a stadium and the staff to work on it. We talked with the city, the regional federation AAALG and asked for a positive support for a bidding from FPA (Portuguese Athletics Federation). This is the normal process to start.
We like to have ANAV (Portuguese Masters) in the boat too, to make the championships come true… but this is the task of the Portuguese Athletics Federation and the region. The people in Vila Real de Santo Antonio are passionate to work on this project.
EMA is now waiting to present a timetable framework, a budget plan, and the structure of the LOC before signing a definite contract. This document is an agreement between the city, FPA, EMA and the LOC. We are looking forward to finish the preparation at the end of May so we can be able to open a webpage and the entries in June.
Our idea is to make a PREREGISTRATION without money transfer for two months (June and July)… just to have an overview to organise the events day by day and check out the capacity. In August and September we like to open the entries again, so that money transfer is possible. We are expecting – under the best circumstances – 3000 to 4000 athletes. This amount of athletes can be handled in one stadium plus throwing field. Road running and race walking will be no problem.
You can reach Vila Real de Santo Antonio by plane to Faro or Seville airport, by train and by bus as well. Flixbus is still on duty.
In October we will have still warm temperatures in the Algarve region. Hotels open these months again and the restaurants as well.
Looking forward to make these championships a new beginning for our masters’ athletics – but until now it is still in process!
Kurt Kaschke
EMA President