Chetcuti receives Platinum Award

Sharp shooter William Chetcuti yesterday became the first Maltese sportsman to receive the Platinum Award during a gala night at the New Dolmen Resort Hotel marking the fourth MOC Sports Awards contest.

The presentations ceremony was attended by various distinguished personalities from the local sporting scene. In his address Malta Olympic Committee president Lino Farrugia Sacco highlighted some of the achievements of 2005, not least Chetcuti's performance on the international scene and his future prospects.

"The protagonists in the arena today are the athletes who have carried Malta's flag high with their sporting excellence," Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said.

"2005 has been a success story in many ways. After the record medal haul at the GSSE and a bronze medal in the Mediterranean Games, a few days ago we were only marginally away from achieving further glory when we missed a podium standing in a major international event.

"We are confident that time will come soon when our ambassadors will realise a much-awaited and coveted Olympic medal."

The MOC president was clearly referring to Chetcuti's fourth placing at the Dubai World Cup finals on November 24.

A few weeks before Malta's ruling body of elite sport had launched a new initiative designed to help Chetcuti gain the necessary experience by more regular participations abroad ahead of Beijing 2008.

"The MOC has left no stone unturned in its quest to achieve better results. This year we launched the Outstanding Athlete Scheme... it has proved a veritable worthwhile investment," Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said.

The Platinum Award was launched this year to honour those who attained an outstanding performance in international competition.

Apart from the fourth place in Dubai, Chetcuti won a gold medal in the World Junior Championship and another at the GSSE. He finished third in the Mediterranean Games and second in a World Cup shoot in Belgrade behind Olympic champion Mohammed Al-Maktum.

There was a slight tinge of controversy in last night's presentation when it became known that no snooker players were on the winners' list despite the earlier nominations of Alex Borg, Joe Grech and Simon Zammit.

Borg, ranked by many as an outsider for the Platinum Award, is the current European champion. He is also part of the team, along with Grech and Zammit, that won the continental teams' title in March.

Sources told The Times that at present the players are requesting better conditions from the Malta Billiards and Snooker Association (MBSA) and the MOC.

They informed the association that as a sign of protest they were not going to attend the Awards Night. The MBSA, in turn, asked the MOC to withdraw the nominations of the three players.

Among the Gold Award winners yesterday was dedicated swimmer Angela Galea.

During this year's GSSE she won Malta's first-ever gold medal in swimming in her favourite butterfly event.

The other Gold Award winners were Carol Walsh, Marcon Bezzina, table-tennis duo Simon Gerada and Andrezei Makowski and the 4x100m men's athletics team composed of Mario Bonello, Rashid Chouhal, Darren Gilford and Jeandre Mallia.

Award Winners' List

Platinum Award
William Chetcuti shooting

Gold Award
Carol Walsh athletics
Angela Galea swimming
Marcon Bezzina judo
Simon Gerada table tennis
Andrezei Makowski table tennis
4x100m men's team athletics (Mario Bonello, Rashid Chouhal, Darren Gilford, Jeandre Mallia)

Silver Award
Martina Xuereb athletics
Lisa Bezzina athletics
Emmanuel Grima shooting
Rashid Chouhal athletics
Massimo Cremona table football
Kenneth Arpa bowling
4x100m women's team athletics (Charlene Attard, Diane Borg, Therese Mallia, Lara Scerri)

Bronze Award
Roderick Muscat cycling
Frans Pace shooting
Darren Gilford athletics
Nikolai Portelli athletics

Mario Bonello athletics
Charlene Attard athletics
Rebecca Camilleri athletics
Mark Spiteri bowling
Women's team squash (Annabelle Diamantino, Joanna Rizzo, Sue Aquilina, Roberta Pace Grima, Liz Said)
4x400m men's team athletics (Ivan Borg, Karl Farrugia, Nikolai Portelli, Mario Bonello)