Time flies. It seems only yesterday when Sandro Micallef informed me that he had embarked on an ambitious project together with Robert Cutajar to launch an annual event that would reward the best football players on the island.

The need for such a contest had been felt for a considerable time, particularly since football still ranks as the most popular sport on the island.

Even though the Malta Football Association rewards its best players in each division and the top scorers, local football players had always been yearning for a more comprehensive awards night based on the voting preferences of journalists.

Some critics may have opined that the first edition was a flash in the pan but the organisers were swift to act, announcing that the second edition would be held in July 2003 and that the Malta Football Awards was to become an annual event.

Last year, I had to give the awards a miss as I was away from the island. This time round, the gala night promises to be another prestigious event. Rather than short-listing a number of players for each category, the organisers allowed journalists to nominate their three preferences in each bracket. This should add to the suspense on the final night as the list of nominees is extensive and includes players from the less established teams.

Apart from journalists, officials from each premier league club together with the coaches and captains of each side were also invited to nominate their preferences.

Some may argue that club officials, coaches and captains are biased in their choices and this is probably true. For future editions, the organisers may still include these important stakeholders in the voting process but such people should not be asked to vote in the category which they themselves are hoping to win.

This minor change should add even more credibility and transparency to the voting process.

In a bid to include an innovative element in each edition, this year the organisers will be awarding the best female player. I have been informed that they also have one or two surprises up their sleeves which will be revealed on the night.

Unfortunately, the event may also experience a dark side.

Apparently referees have been instructed not to accept any official award from the organisers.

Indeed this is a pity as the directive is excluding one of the main protagonists of the game.

Referees are crucial to the game. If they had to turn their back to the game, the Malta FA would be compelled to seek the services of foreign referees to control local matches. This would mean added expenses which would probably be billed to our clubs.

I see no reason why referees should not be awarded for their efforts during the season.

As with any other contest, there are bound to be winners and losers and I am sure that the winner, whoever he may be, will be sincerely congratulated for his efforts.

The awards night will also coincide with the day when the election of the presidency of the MFA will be held, so the organisers will have to wait for the outcome in the late morning to know who will be addressing the audience in the evening.

Together with the Sportivi Nazzjonali Contest and the Malta Olympic Committee Sports Awards, the Malta Football Awards is another event which rewards athletes for their outstanding achievements on and off the field of play.

It is high time that these events are given more priority by our terrestrial television stations. Luckily NET TV will be screening this event for the benefit of the public.

Olympic Games series

With the Athens Olympic Games barely three weeks away, the local media seemed to have somewhat turned its back on such an important event.

Even though Malta will be participating with a token contingent, this is probably the first time in the history of Malta's participation at these Games that a Maltese athlete stands a good chance of winning an historic Olympic medal.

At least, NET TV has come up with a series of seven one-hour programmes focusing on Malta's participation at the Olympics.

Charles Camenzuli has prepared seven programmes which lead to the Games in Athens. During the first three programmes, he featured a number of interesting clips including an interview with the late Victor Pace.

Another programme featured an interview with Nestor Iacono who participated in the 1948 Games together with the original footage of Iacono running his 100m heat race in London.