William Chetcuti once again in the limelight

Honours of the day to Pescara 2009 silver medallist William Chetcuti as MOC president, Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco referred to him as

“definitely Malta’s best ever sportsman”. The main item on the Agenda

during the media conference held at the headquarters of the Maltese Olympic Committee was Malta’s participation in the 16th Mediterranean Games in Pescara

Charles Camenzuli

Director of media MOC

Before giving an overview of what happened in Pescara, MOC general secretary and chef de mission, Joseph Cassar, on behalf of the MOC and affiliated associations welcomed the positive result obtained by MOC President Farrugia Sacco during the general assembly where the votes obtained confirmed the high esteem and profile the MOC president has within the affiliated countries. MOC president will be once again on the ICMG Committee up to 2013.

Cassar gave details of what went through at the Mediterranean Athletes Village where facilities perhaps were not at best. However the Maltese contingent together with athletes from 23 Mediterranean countries experienced another unique adventure in particular to the fact that due to the disciplines in programme, football team and officials were lodged in Teramo and kayak competitor and official in Lago di Bomba.

Cassar gave details relative to the flag raising ceremony and to IOC president Jacques Rogge’s visit to the Village where he was present with other chef de missions as well as tennis player Kimberly Cassar.

Mark Cutajar, director of sport, gave a general analysis of Malta’s participation in Pescara where the result obtained by William Chetcuti was definitely the best ever since 1997’s edition in Bari. As Cutajar detailed results obtained in sailing, wrestling, football, basketball, athletics, he had positive comments on Chris Camilleri’s debut in kayak, Malta’s participation in golf both in individual and team events as well as to the performance of David Farrugia in the Raffa – bowls – competition where the Maltese player was only a step away from winning a bronze medal. In shooting, reference was made to the skeet, trap and double trap competitions and the results obtained.

Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco wound up by mentioning the high standard of competition which dominated the Pescara edition where, for the first time, two world records were broken in the swimming competitions and where 21 out of 23 nations managed to win a medal. It was only Andorra and Lebanon who didn’t manage to be on the winners’ podium.

The MOC president also presented William Chetcuti with the Games’ Certificate and pointed that “Malta’s best ever sportsman” managed to win eight medals out of 10 major competitions, while obtaining ninth and eighth placings in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

MOC president Farrugia Sacco re-elected as Amar Addadi confirmed as ICMG president

During the general assembly of the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games held in Pescara, Italy, prior to the Opening of the 16th Mediterranean Games, the MOC President, Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, was re-elected to the executive of the ICMG for the next four years. The election of the MOC president in the executive will naturally help Maltese sports to progress further technically and financially.

President Amar Addadi of Algeria was confirmed in office for another four year term while the French NOC president Denis Masseglia and Egyptian NOC President Mounir Sabet were elected as vice-presidents.

Secretary general is Isidros Kouvolos of Greece and treasurer Kikis Lazaridis of Cyprus. The executive is also formed of seven other officials.

The final result for the election of members from 75 possible votes was the following.

Raffaele Pagnozzi, Italy, 68 votes, Zlatko Matesa, Croatia, 65 votes, Togay Bayatli, Turkey, 61 votes, Farrugia Sacco Lino, Malta, 55 votes, Mustapha Zekri, Morocco, 52 votes, Souhail Khoury, Lebanon, 50 votes, Abdelhamid Slama, Tunisia, 45 votes, Marwan Maghur, Libya, 31 votes – not elected.

Katarina Witt gets role in 2018 Munich Olympic bid

Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt will have a leading role in Munich’s bid for the 2018 Winter Games.

The 43-year-old Witt was presented as the head of a 23-member board of trustees for the bid. The board also includes football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who brought the 2006 World Cup to Germany, and former Olympic skiing champion Rosi Mittermaier.

Other members include Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Richard von Weizsaecker, a former German president.

Witt, a former East German, won gold in Calgary in 1988 and in Sarajevo four years earlier.

Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Annecy, France, are also in the running for the 2018 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will choose the host in 2011.

“I promise that we in the board of trustees will do everything so that the IOC can only say in 2011: ‘The games must go to Munich,’” Witt said.

Munich is aiming to become the first city to host both the summer and winter Olympics. The 1972 summer games were held there.

Backup samples positive for five athletes

Backup “B’’ sample tests came back positive for 1,500-metre gold medalist Rashid Ramzi and four other athletes accused of blood doping at the Beijing Games, an Olympic official with knowledge of the results told the Associated Press.

The athletes tested positive for the new blood-boosting drug CERA in retests of their Beijing “A’’ samples earlier this year, with the results announced on 28 April.

The second samples have since been analysed and confirmed the positive findings, the official said on condition of anonymity because the results are considered confidential pending a hearing.

The positive results clear the way for the International Olympic Committee to open disciplinary cases against the athletes, who face being stripped of results and medals and banned from the 2012 London Olympics.

In addition to Ramzi, the athletes are Italian cycling road race silver medalist Davide Rebellin, German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, Croatian 800-metre runner Vanja Perisic and Greek race walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka.

Disciplinary hearings are expected to be held at the end of the month. The IOC executive board, which has the power to disqualify athletes from past and future games, next meets in Berlin on 13-14 August.

Ramzi was the first gold medallist from Beijing caught in the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Moroccan-born runner gave Bahrain its first ever Olympic track and field gold medal with victory in the 1,500 in 3 minutes, 32.94 seconds.

The IOC previously disqualified nine athletes for doping at the Beijing Games. In addition, there were six doping cases involving horses in the equestrian competition.