Goal reached, money well spent

The remarkable overall result achieved by Maltese athletes during last week's Games of the Small States of Europe was also the fruit of government's careful investment in infrastructure and technical assistance during the past few years.

These were the words of Minister for Youth and the Arts Jesmond Mugliett yesterday at the Malta Olympic Committee headquarters in Tal-Qroqq.

"Our only objective since the Malta Games bid was won in 1999 was to put sport on a higher perspective in the country's political agenda," he said.

"Government was totally committed to this. In one way or another we were actively involved in the build-up to the Games. It looked more than ambitious at first but the all-round participation from all quarters of our society proved that we had succeeded in our aim. The Games were a success, indeed a memorable occasion for one and all."

These words were echoed by MOC General Secretary Joe Cassar.

"The scenes witnessed last week were incredible," he said.

"The Games were a real showpiece which captured the imagination of the whole nation. It was the best GSSE organisation for years.

"Despite all pressure everything worked perfectly well. There were no signs of divide...nowhere. The Games brought about national unity and broke all barriers. Sport can truly unite a nation."

Mugliett, meanwhile, assured that government would continue to honour its existing agreements with athletes and federations.

Regular funds will not stop here, he said. However, an increase in government budget next year is still early talk as most of the federations, and the MOC itself, have to finalise their initiatives for the next cycle after the Games.

When referring to government's expenditure in infrastructure, Mugliett mentioned the heavy investment in the new Cottonera Sports Complex as other works were carried out at facilities where the Games were staged.

At the Matthew Micallef St John Athletics Stadium alone, Lm90,000 were spent on a new tartan track. Lm58,000 were voted for new equipment used last week despite some criticism of haphazard spending.

The idea of financial incentives for medal winners was introduced in 1997. For that particular year, government forked out Lm10,500 in bonuses. The amount went down to Lm7,725 in 1999, up to Lm14,650 in 2001 and a significant Lm25,000 this year.

The Ministry of Youth and the Arts did not do it alone, however.

As government sought to play a more active role, Mugliett said there was cooperation from various other ministries and public sectors including the Education Division, the Police and Armed Forces of Malta, the Health Department, Local Councils and various others.

"The government was determined to see that the organisation was top class and our athletes were adequately prepared to face the challenge," Mugliett said. "They needed a strong backing.

"The end-result was of great satisfaction. We invested heavily but the response was tremendous. The sizeable crowds at most venues were impressive... our objective was reached and how.

"These Games have lifted sport's profile on our islands in no small measure. That was our intention before we planned the bid.

"Now, we are confident that the GSSE 2003 have left behind a long-lasting positive effect in terms of wider participation and better organisation in sport."