Nikki Abela, Sliema.
Sports imports
Ryan Gambin
I would like to start by congratulating Ryan Gambin for being the first swimmer for Malta to ever qualify for the Olympic Games on his own merit. Although many other local swimmers have represented Malta at these prestigious Games in the past, their participation was on an invitation basis, whereby small countries are allowed one participant of each sex to take part. It is a great honour for us to have earned our place at this high-status event.
I would like us to consider, however, the impact that these imported sportsmen and women is having on our locally born and bred athletes.
It seems to have slipped our notice that Mr Gambin will be taking the place of someone else, a local swimmer who wakes up at 5 a.m. day in day out to squeeze in two sessions in between work or school.
These imported athletes, unlike our local athletes, have had access to superior training facilities while growing up in their home country. Many of them, for example, attended sports universities, the likes of which are unheard of in little Malta. Without access to these sports facilities, our local athletes are asked to compete for a local spot against those who have gained from higher standards of training.
Moreover, these imported athletes are also breaking many of our national records. Compared to their home country, record breaking in Malta is rather like a walk in the park, leaving our up and coming athletes unable to reach their higher standards.
While it is understandable that it is important for a country like Malta to search for strong foreigners who are able to represent our country so as to keep us on the same level as other countries who are doing the same, I think it would be more wise for the Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) to invest in improving the facilities for sports in Malta, rather than spending mounds of cash to get the foreigners here. It seems that in our search of medals, we have lost sight of the fact that we are creating a vicious cycle for our local athletes by keeping important goals and incentives well out of their stride.
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steve busuttil
Apr 2nd 2008, 12:27
Unfortunately there seems to be a grave misconception as to local and foreign based athletes. As long as the governing body of a sport allows the descendants of Maltese who emigrated in the past to participate and consider them to be eligible to represent Malta then they are as Maltese as anyone who resides in Malta.
The main problem with some Malta based athletes is their mental state of mind and possibly some see living in Malta as a drawback as compared to an athlete in Australia.
Living in Malta is an advantage and allows us the luxury of having several sports facilities within a short driving distance. Gyms are readily available and we are geographically close to mainland Europe. How this can be considered as a disadvantage is beyond me.
I have been involved in Rugby for 24 years and we are criticised for flying over Maltese players who live in the UK and Australia. However let me assure everyone that this has improved the level of the sport on the island. Malta based players have realised that to obtain the required level, sacrifices and hard training at each individuals' experience is expected.
Finally i have had the honour of interacting very closely with these Maltese who live abroad and let me assure everyone that they are as committed to the National Flag as any Maltese resident, in some cases even more.
The best athlete/sportsman or woman available and eligible to represent Malta must be sent to the relevant competition.
James Sultana
Mar 31st 2008, 22:07
Getting Ryan Gambin and other similar athletes to help us win medals in the small nations games would be a good thing, because in that competition at least the other Maltese athletes would still be able to participate. In the Small Nation games, Ryan Gambin would be able to give a good challenge for the medals.
However, getting him for the Olympics is not the best of solutions. First of all, the fact that we now have an athlete that has qualified on his own merits for the Olympic games automatically EXCLUDES the possibility of other swimmers going to the Olympics on a wild-card basis. Secondly, with all due respect to Ryan Gambin who is probably well above the local-bred swimmers as regards performances, in the last European Championships he placed in the 30th place out of 56 competitors .... where would this leave him in the Olympics ?
So, at the end of the day, for the Olympics what would have been more beneficial ? Sending athletes from the national swimming team who will might place in the lower parts of the table BUT will help them gain experience for future competitions such as the GSE, or sending Ryan Gambin who will place better but still not good enough and who already has got big competition experience ? Personally I would go for the first option.
And while on the same subject, I really find the decision by Neptunes WPSC to sign Ryan Gambin on their books for the National Champions that took place last weekend. Although having one of the top two swimming schools in Malta, they decided to go for glory-hunting and sign Ryan Gambin for them ... at the expense of giving the cold shoulder to those swimmers who had been at the club for years... and even treating him much better !! While winning medals and having all the national records belong to your club is nice, at the end of the day you know that these are not due to your training, structures and planning. Even worse is that for this one day glory hunting, they destroyed the dream and ambition of local swimmers to challenge each other for the National records. Before anyone manages to beat Gambin`s records probably years have to pass.... which means that now the swimmers of the local clubs have very little to look at rather than a personal best and beating the same competitor you have been competing against since you were 8 years old !!
So much for sports promotion !!!
Joe Vella
Mar 31st 2008, 17:27
Nikki Abela, I do not know where you came up with the following, " for example, attended sports universities, the likes of which are unheard of in little Malta."
Can you tell me where these sports universities exists. To my knowledge, young athletes do attend university on a sport scholarship. These educational Institutions are by far from being sports Universities, is Harvard, UCLA, and the whole lot of them sports universities, College sports is quite big in the USA and in terms of crowd attendance some sport do draw a larger crown the the pros do in the same sport. What universities do is offer scholarships to young and upcoming future athletes to attend that particular university because of the potential of income from the gates of the college sports. the word university and college is used interchangeably. It also, should noted that these scholarships are not only offered to Americans but to other athletics from all over the world.
John abela
Mar 31st 2008, 16:49
I think Ms Abela by foreigners implies third generation Australians..Canadians..etc. and I do agree with her, it must be really frustrating for local athletes.
then..on the other hand...i must admit that i would be happy to see malta get a medal at these events even if the participant is not exactly maltese born and bred!
laurie Smit
Mar 31st 2008, 14:18
Nikki, I assume that for Mr Ray Gambin to represent Malta have to be a Maltese citizen, so where all this foriegners is coming from. It is true that these athletes who train overseas have better facilities like we have here in Australia, but I do agree with you that the locals should be given the first chance to represent Malta.