Malta to host 60th edition this month

Malta will be hosting a very special edition of the FISEC Games this month as the popular sporting festival reserved for U-17 students has reached its 60th anniversary.

To mark this occasion, FISEC Malta will present a commemorative medal to all athletes and officials taking part in this year's games, to be staged here between July 15 and 21.

Louis Borg, FISEC International vice-president, told a news conference yesterday that the international body was delighted that this landmark will be celebrated in Malta, a country that has contributed a lot to the development of the FISEC Games.

"The 2008 FISEC Games have a special meaning in the history of this festival," Borg told reporters.

"We felt that the most appropriate way to commemorate this milestone is to award a memento to every athlete and official taking part in this year's edition. Many of the participating youngsters in Malta are likely to compete in major sporting events in the future and it's important that they have something that reminds them of where they started."

Brother Martin Borg, FISEC Malta chairman, said that over 715 foreign athletes are expected to descend on Malta for this month's FISEC Games. Participants will come from 10 different countries namely, Austria, Portugal, Spain, France, Holland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Hungary and Malta.

"I think a special mention is due to the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, Clyde Puli, and the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport, now under new chairman Bernard Vassallo. Without their continuous backing, we would not have been able to organise these games.

"Having two such strong partners made it easier for us this year to host these games. The country's sports infrastructure has improved enormously in the last two years and the other countries feel at home every time they come here. This in turn increases our chances of bringing the FISEC Games to our islands."

David Azzopardi, Malta's Chef-de-Mission, said the Maltese contingent will be made up of 164 athletes - 104 boys and 60 girls. He said that Malta will take part in all eight disciplines - athletics, swimming, table tennis, basketball, football, futsal, handball and volleyball.

"I'm sure that the Maltese athletes will put on a strong showing this year," Azzopardi said. "In swimming and athletics, we have very competitive selections and our target is to win the team title in both disciplines. We have also accepted the Malta FA's request to field the national U-17 teams in both futsal and football competitions."

Parliamentary Secretary Puli reaffirmed the government's support for the FISEC Games which he described as the ideal stepping stone for young athletes to gain international experience.

"The FISEC Games are very important for the development of our up-and-coming youngsters and the government has every intention of maintaining its backing for this festival," Puli said.

"Apart from financial assistance, we have also given the organisers the go-ahead to use a number of sporting facilities such as the Marsa Athletics track, the National Pool and the Cottonera Sports Complex for a total grant of €33,670."