75 years of Olympism in Malta

The Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) is this year celebrating the 75th anniversary of its foundation in 1928 prior to the first participation in the Amsterdam Olympic Games.

This is a unique occasion in the history of Maltese sport: to reach the venerable age of 75 is both a festive and sentimental event recalling the varied fortunes of the MOC throughout its chequered history.

Although sentimentalism is a marked characteristic of the Mediterranean race, the MOC has not lived on sentiment alone; and in conformity with the International Olympic Committee ideals has throughout the years evolved, introducing new policies and assuming new responsibilities in order to promote the Olympic Movement and Olympic principles in our island.

While commemorating this festive event let us cast a long lingering look at the intrepid pioneers of the Olympic Movement in Malta, who against all odds in 1928 managed to have Malta affiliated with the IOC, a very elitist organisation at that time, to which only nation states were eligible.

At the Amsterdam Games of 1928 it was no mean feat for Malta to be accepted as a full member of the Olympic family with the right to participate together with 45 other nations in the Olympic Arena.

It is well to remember that as a British colony, technically speaking, Malta could only compete under the British flag and as part of the British contingent - as Jamaica, Trinidad, Seychelles and Barbados did. This was the practice for all colonial powers of the time - Algerian and Tunisian athletes represented France; Korean athletes participated under the Japanese flag.

Yet, through the Herculian efforts and administrative acumen of these administrators, Malta was given the status of a Dominion on par with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and India. They convinced the IOC and the British government that Malta possessed all the ingredients that constituted the identity of a nation namely, history, culture, political maturity, tradition and flag.

Today, we salute and pay tribute to these gentlemen for their pioneering work.

It is indeed a pity that not even a scant reference is made in our political history books to this important landmark in our road to nationhood - namely the recognition of Malta as a 'quasi Dominion' with the political status of a nation.

50th anniversary celebrations

As ex-General Secretary of the MOC I vividly recall the celebrations we held to commemorate the 50th anniversary in 1978.

It was a period of rapid change when the threat of Olympic boycotts was looming, the only silver lining being the emergence of Olympic Solidarity meant to give support and assistance to deserving nations.

In this regard Malta was also a protagonist with its moral and intellectual contribution to the Solidarity Movement and the impetus to Olympism with the first participation in the proceedings of the Academy in Ancient Olympia, Greece.

Under the able leadership of Carm Borg, MOC president in 1978, we organised a highly successful international seminar with the participation of IOC members and other top dignitaries in the Olympic Movement foremost of whom was Willi Daume, IOC member and president of the German National Olympic Committee, and Raymond Gafner, IOC member and top administrator at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.

Since that time the MOC continued to evolve and to emerge as the most potent and beneficial force in the promotion of sport and Olympic principles in Malta.

Today's celebrations and gala night at the New Dolmen in Qawra, with the presentation of awards as well as the long overdue launching of the Hall of Fame, is the culmination of a highly-successful year of sport.

Let us hope that the MOC will for ever remain the guiding light in the promotion of elite and mass sports in the true spirit of Olympism.