MOC warns of pull-out from key events

Malta's participation in this year's GSSE and Mediterranean Games was already thrown off course by a delay in the athletes' preparation after government's promised funding in the budget had failed to arrive.

Yesterday, the problem was compounded when the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) threatened to pull out from all international commitments unless they are given more autonomy in administering the funds for technical preparation which is currently in the hands of the Kunsill Malti Ghall-Isport (KMS).

MOC president Lino Farrugia Sacco, was speaking to delegates from member federations during an urgent meeting at Tal-Qroqq. They were informed of the latest developments on the issue after a series of meetings were held this week between MOC officials and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Louis Galea.

According to Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco, Dr Galea had promised to pass to the MOC in the coming days a 2004 backdated payment of Lm40,000.

The MOC head also pointed out that the minister told them that they would be granted more autonomy and the Kunsill Malti Ghall-Isport would no longer be responsible to allocate funds to local sports associations to assist athletes in technical preparation ahead of key international events.

However, just before the meeting got under way, Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said he received a negative response from Franco Azzopardi, the KMS chairman, who told the MOC president that as far as he was concerned he knew of no arrangements regarding the allocation of funds for technical preparation. For him, this was still the KMS's responsibility.

"This is totally unacceptable for the MOC," the president affirmed. "We have to know where we stand on this particular matter. We are seriously running out of time. The athletes' preparation has to start immediately, but it's better if this is handled by the MOC. This has always been the way it has worked and we hardly ever met any problems before.

"We have decided that unless we revert to the old system, when the MOC directly handled the funds for technical assistance of its athletes, we are ready to pull out of all international participation this year, including the GSSE and Mediterranean Games."

Financial situation

The president, flanked by all executive members of the MOC at yesterday's meeting, then informed delegates on the 2005 financial situation at Malta's ruling body of sport. He said that this year the MOC was expecting an increase in government's aid.

However the Lm150,000 promised in the budget was not sufficient to break even after it was estimated that of the Lm304,900 needed, the MOC will only collect Lm223,655 this year... a deficit of Lm81,245.

"This is another problem hitting us hard at such a crucial stage when we have to make important decisions," he said. "No doubt, cutting on the funds allocated to athletes' preparation in GSSE sport or others will be suicidal. This we have to avoid at all cost.

"We did a great job in cancelling the debt we had in recent past. Now we have no intention of spending without any planning and creating another deficit. We have to find a solution.

"We cannot postpone or see what can happen until March. Our athletes have already started their preparation and it would be unfair to tell them they will not be in the GSSE contingent after going through an intensive programme."

Delegates were then asked to give their opinion and discuss what action the MOC could take to remedy the situation. Journalists at this point were asked to leave the hall and the MOC is expected to give more information on the outcome today.

Most of the delegates had a strong feeling of what the meeting was going to deal with yesterday. However, they were not expecting the MOC to take such a tough stance.

This left them with an unprecedented scenario to decide whether Malta participates or not in an event like the GSSE, which Maltese sports administrators had lobbied so hard to launch on the international calendar.