David Azzopardi appointed new Director of Sport

David Azzopardi is the new Director of Sport of the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC).

Azzopardi yesterday collected the largest number of votes in the election held at the MOC's offices in Tal-Qroqq.

He polled 42 votes to finish ahead of Clarence Busuttil, 15, and Envic Galea, 10. Marie Therese Zammit withdrew her candidature before the election.

Azzopardi succeeds Pippo Psaila who quit as MOC Director of Sport after guiding Malta to its best ever performance in the Games of the Small States of Europe, held here last June.

An elated Azzopardi said he was looking forward to the challenge his new post is sure to offer, starting from the Olympic Games in Athens next August.

Azzopardi, who is also the vice-president of the Malta Handball Association, has also set his sights on the next GSSE in Andorra in two years' time.

One of the foremost priorities of the new Director of Sport is to monitor the technical preparations being carried out by those sports federations earmarked to participate in the Andorra GSSE 2005.

The creation of a Sports School of Excellence is another important item on the agenda of Azzopardi whose first term of office ends in December 2004.