Bezzina in anxious wait for Olympics invitation

Malta judoka Marcon Bezzina will be anxiously waiting for news over the coming days when the world governing body of judo announces the list of those making it to the Olympics in summer.

Informed sources yesterday told The Times that the names of those judokas selected for the Athens Games, starting on August 13, will probably be made public after the European Championships which are currently being staged in Bucharest, Romania.

Bezzina failed to earn automatic qualification for Athens. However, she stands a good chance of receiving an invitation, a wild card entry, due to her creditable performances in various international tournaments this year.

Under the training regime of Italian Alfredo Monti, Bezzina is looking to gain more experience on the international scene by taking part in overseas competitions in the build-up to the Olympics.

So far, the only two Maltese guaranteed of their places in the Athens Olympics are middle distance runner Tanya Blake and Double Trap shooter William Chetcuti.

Through the Tripartite Commission programme, the IOC also gives countries like Malta the right to have two swimmers and two in athletics in the Olympics even though the Malta Olympic Committee is still weighing its options carefully before announcing its squad.

The Tripartite Commission is a three-way collaboration between the IOC, the Association of National Olympic Committees and the International Federations. It ensures participation by athletes from those countries that would normally have little or no representation at the Olympic Games.