Platinum prize for Chetcuti

Not for the first time in his career, William Chetcuti stole the limelight at an MOC-organised event when last night, he collected the Platinum Award during the 2008 Sports Awards, staged at the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

Of the long list of nominees for this year's awards, Chetcuti was the only Maltese sportsman whose feats during 2008, in the eyes of the adjudicating panel, warranted the most prestigious accolade.

Chetcuti has been rewarded for his showing in the 2008 Beijing Games where he finished eighth overall in the Double Trap competition. The Bidnija prodigy attained 136 from a total of 150 points in the qualifying rounds and missed out on the final barrage after a shoot-off.

Chetcuti's eighth place also constituted Malta's best ever result in the Olympic Games.

A total of 11 Gold Awards were presented during the Gala Night but somewhat surprisingly, powerboats pilot Aaron Ciantar, widely seen as a strong contender for the Platinum or Gold Award this year, failed to get nominated in any of the four main categories.

This year, Ciantar, of Chaudron fame, triumphed in the Powerboat P1 Supersport World Championship along with Angelo Tedeschi, owner and throttleman of Conam Yachts.

Ciantar's prominent role in Conam Yachts' impressive success and his blossoming reputation as one of the most talented pilots in the world's powerboat scene, had raised expectations of a starring role in this year's MOC Awards.

Ciantar received a Certificate of Merit along with young shooter Ryan Bugeja who won a silver medal in the Trap event at the Youth Commonwealth Games, held earlier this year in Pune India.

MOC president Lino Farrugia Sacco later explained that they had to introduce a 'new award' to acknowledge Ciantar's remarkable feat as powerboat sport is not in the Olympic fold.

Also during last night's ceremony, five nominees received a Silver Award and four were honoured with the Bronze Award.

Meanwhile, seven former athletes and sports administrators were inducted into the MOC's Hall of Fame.

Victor Pace, who helped to establish the Malta Tennis Federation, Joseph Muscat, a sports medicine doctor, Kevin Decesare, a household name in local basketball circles, Joe Dimech, so synonymous with body building, Frank Tabone, coach of the legendary Ajax FC, Lino Bugeja, whose involvement in local sport is multi-faceted, and former waterpolo official Charles Micallef are the latest additions to the MOC Hall of Fame.

Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco outlined the top achievements and main events for Maltese sports during the last Olympic quadrennial which came to a close this year.

Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said that Chetcuti's eighth placing in Beijing did justice to the efforts of the MOC.

"Chetcuti obtaining an eighth placing at these prestigious games (Olympics) with the limited funding available, goes to show that with the right support and direction, objectives can be achieved," he told those present.

Looking ahead to the next quadrennial 2009-2012, the MOC head said: "We can look forward to helping our athletes prepare and achieve success at the next editions of the Games of the Small States of Europe, taking place next year in Cyprus and in Liechtenstein in 2011.

"Next year will also include the Mediterranean Games, which will be held in Pescara, the Med. Friendship Games in Sicily and the EYOF in Tampere, Finland with a possible first representation at the winter edition in Poland."

Clyde Puli, the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, announced that next year will see the introduction of a new scheme aimed at giving athletes more flexibility to juggle their work and sporting commitments.

Under this scheme, titled 'twenty twenty', athletes who are employed by the government can benefit from up to 20 hours of leave with pay per week so that they can attend training sessions.

"Among the first athletes benefiting from this scheme will be those representing Malta in the 2009 GSSE," Puli said.

At the end of his speech, Puli presented Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco with a cheque €79,198 as the final payment of the government's financial grant to the MOC for the outgoing year.

Sports Awards winners

Platinum: William Chetcuti (double trap, shooting).

Gold: Women's basketball team; women's squash team; pool team; Clayton Attard (pool); Sebastian Ripard (sailing); Ryan Gambin (swimming); Shaun Parnis (lawn bowls); Darren Vella and Clive Farrugia (skeet, shooting); Clive Farrugia (shooting); Brian Farrugia (tenpin bowling); Keith Galea (triathlon).

Silver: Waterpolo team; Elusive crew (Middle Sea Race 2008); William Vella and Lawrence Darmanin (10m Air Rifle); Annabelle Olivieri Munroe (squash); Dermot Galea (triathlon).

Bronze: Madeleine Scerri (swimming); Thomas Zammit Tabona (sailing); Theresa Brousson (squash); Joseph Borg Bonaci (table football).

Certificate of merit: Aaron Ciantar (powerboats); Ryan Bugeja (shooting).

Hall of fame
New inductees: Victor Pace, Joseph Muscat, Kevin Decesare, Joe Dimech, Frank Tabone, Lino Bugeja and Charles Micallef.