Christopher Busuttil Leaver writes:

Tony, as he was known among friends, was a true sportsman in every sense of the word.

Like most of us of our era, he was a volunteer – a rare breed nowadays.

He participated in many sports before joining the hockey fraternity, serving down the years as player, national coach and also winning Player of the Year Award in the 1981-1982 season.

He led the national side, among others, in the Mediterranean Cup Tournament held in Egypt in 1995 and in 2002 we were together on the bench leading the national side in the European Hockey qualifying competition in Dublin.

He was also instrumental in guiding his team, White Hart, to several successes in national competitions.

Down the years, he held various administrative positions, including being the incumbent secretary of the Hockey Association Malta, with his hand on the till until the last moments before his demise.

In fact, he was present at the Hockey 5s International Tournament, which we hosted during the last weekend in June, and I had a long telephone conversation with him barely 48 hours before his passing.

Our paths crossed for over 50 years, both on the playing field and in administrative duties and I am still coming to grips with the situation.

His determination, dedication and implementation of strong principles, which manifested themselves by sometimes calling a spade a spade, in later years, was none other than his genuine contribution to the game he loved.

Last but not least, I would like to express the sympathy of all members, past and present, of the HAM, to his dear wife Victoria and his children Paula, Peter and Francesca, their spouses and his grandchildren. May he rest in peace.

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