The Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) yesterday started a new four-year cycle by presenting the members of its Executive Committee to the media, a day after officials of local sports associations took part in a vote to elect their representatives on the MOC's top organ.

There have been no changes in the MOC's five-man management team as president Lino Farrugia Sacco, vice-president Julian Pace Bonello, secretary general Joe Cassar, treasurer David Azzopardi and director of sports Pippo Psaila, were uncontested during Wednesday's meeting and were therefore automatically confirmed for another four-year term.

Wednesday's elections saw newcomers Mark Cutajar (61 votes) and Adele Muscat (60 votes) gain a seat on the MOC Executive where they will replace Marie Therese Zammit and Laurie Pace. The other directors on the MOC Executive are Charles Camenzuli, Vince Scicluna, Lucienne Attard, Envic Galea, Anthony Chircop and Kirill Micallef Stafrace.

During yesterday's conference call, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco highlighted the achievements of the MOC over the past four years and outlined the objectives set by the body for the next quadrennial.

The MOC chief said that, between 2005 and 2008, the MOC obtained several remarkable results on the international scene.

"Our results in the various international competitions speak volumes about the significant improvement of Maltese sport in general during the past four years," he said.

"William Chetcuti's eighth placing at the Beijing Games was Malta's best result ever in the Olympics while one cannot fail to mention the two medals (silver and bronze) Malta won at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

"We also had athletes winning medals in other prestigious events such as the Almeria Mediterranean Games and this year's Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune where Ryan Bugeja placed second in the trap event. Then there are the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), where Maltese athletes have been performing at a high level on a consistent basis."

The MOC president added that these positive performances have given the MOC added motivation to do its best to maintain this upward trend in the coming international events and they are already working hard to improve results in the next four years.

"In 2009, we want to put on a strong performance in the Cyprus GSSE and the Mediterranean Games in Pescara," said Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco, who has just been nominated chairman of the organising committee of the Volos 2013 Mediterranean Games.

"Pippo Psaila, our director of sports, has been monitoring our athletes' progress in the past months as we are determined to send a very competitive team for these Games.

"It's an open secret that our main target for the GSSE in Cyprus is to finish fourth overall in the medal standings, a result that we only managed to achieve during the Malta Games in 2003. It won't be easy but I'm confident that we have the quality to reach this objective."

Participation in the Cyprus GSSE and the Mediterranean Games aside, the MOC could well write a piece of history next year after it was revealed that Malta is to be represented at a winter sports event for the first time ever.

The MOC head revealed that in the last months, they have been in contact with Jess Lochtenberg, a 14-year-old Maltese-Australian snowboarder who is expected to compete for Malta in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Slask-Beskidy, Poland next February.

"It has always been one of our ambitions to have Maltese representation in winter sports," Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said. "From the information we have gathered, Jess Lochtenberg is a valid athlete and can achieve a creditable result for our country in the EYOF Winter. Hopefully, this will be the first of many appearances by Maltese athletes in winter sports."

On the other hand, one athlete who will definitely not represent Malta in the future is Australian swimmer Ashley Callus.

Two years ago, the MOC had contacted the former Olympic and world champion about the possibility of swimming for Malta at the 2007 GSSE in Monaco. However, the 30-year-old had turned down their offer, claiming that he was only focused on training for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Contacts between the MOC and Callus were revived in Beijing last August. However, the MOC yesterday announced that Callus has again rejected the MOC's approach.

"Ashley Callus is now approaching the end of his professional swimming career," Pippo Psaila said. "At 30, he feels that his competitive career is almost over and is planning a future away from swimming. In view of this, he felt he could not accept our invitation to represent Malta at the Cyprus GSSE."

Apart from the Cyprus GSSE, the Mediterranean Games and the EYOF Winter Games, the MOC will also send athletes to participate in EYOF Summer Games, COJI (junior games) and the Mediterranean Friendship Games.

A substantial budget is needed to take part in these Games but so far, the government has not announced the size of the MOC's annual grant for 2009, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said.

"During the past four years, the MOC received a total of €1,269,506 in grants from the government," the MOC president explained.

"From that sum, we have given €885,626 to our federations in the form of technical assistance. A few weeks ago, I met the Minister of Finance, Tonio Fenech, and he promised that he would do his best to allocate enough money to cover our expenses for next year.

"These grants are crucial to ensure the best possible preparation for our athletes ahead of international competitions. Before 1987, the government used to allocate around Lm40,000 to the MOC and in the GSSE, we only used to win between six to eight medals. After that, the government more than doubled its grant and the results achieved have been extraordinary as we have tripled our medal tally.

"Other small countries such as Cyprus and Iceland have a bigger budget but we still manage to be competitive in prestigious games such as the Mediterranean Games and the Commonwealths.

"Our hope is that we continue to receive adequate financial backing from the authorities as this is essential to sustain the progress of Maltese sport."