Agreement reached with KMS Following the resignation of Dr Kyril Micallef Stafrace and Anthony Chircop from the Executive Committee of the Maltese Olympic Committee, Martin Galea and Mark Camilleri were elected for the remaining term of office which ends in 2012. The election was held during the MOC Quadrennial council meeting held at the MOC Headquarters last Wednesday. Martin Galea, president of the Malta Rugby Football Union, had been nominated by his federation and seconded by the Malta Billiards and Snooker Association while Mark Camilleri, vice president of the Malta Tennis Federation, was nominated by his federation and seconded by the Malta Tenpin Bowling Association. The Council Meeting, attended by MOC affiliated member associations, was addressed by MOC Secretary General Joseph Cassar who gave an overview of what happened within the MOC administration since January 2010 while Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, as president of the Maltese Olympic Committee, gave details on the agreement reached recently with Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport relative to the funding for associations for 2010.

MOC athletes towards Singapore Youth Olympic Games

Mark Sammut breaks age group record

Mark Sammut, who is currently on a two-year academic course at Kelly College, Tavistock, in England and training under Robin Brew, a former Olympian, broke the 100m Age Group D record during the South West Youth Championship held in Millfield, UK when he clocked 1.02,88.

This new timing erases his own previous record of 1.03,13 which he had clocked during the Easter International Meet organised by the ASA Malta at Tal-Qroqq in April 2010.

Sammut started the year on a positive note as in February 2010 he broke the 50m backstroke and the 100m butterfly short course records when he clocked 28.93 and 59.48 respectively during the ASA Devon County championships held in Plymouth.

During this championship, Sammut was second in the open 100 fly and won silver also in the the 100 m Individual Medley (1:05.06) and bronze in the 100 Free (55.18). In March, while in Lyon with the national team swimmers, Sammut also broke two records namely the 50m backstroke when he clocked 29.19 and the 100m backstroke during a swim off with French swimmer Nicolas Brun of Triton Club Belleville after both finished their heat on a tie with a timing of 1.04.47.

Mark Sammut won an exciting race with the support of the Maltese contingent and broke the 100m Age Group D backstroke record when he stopped the clock at 1.03.34.

Sammut’s progress was highlighted when Coach Brew selected him for a place in the Kelly swimming relay team which includes prominent young swimmers well-ranked in the UK.

Sammut has also qualified for the UK national championships to be held in Sheffield, UK, in August, but his next commitment will be the Scottish national championship at the end of June in Glasgow, Scotland.

In preparation for his participation, Sammut will be going to an intensive training camp to Lanzarote with the Kelly College top swimming squad.

Thanks to the Olympic Solidarity and the Maltese Olympic Committee, Sammut is one of the four young athletes who will be taking part in the first Youth Olympic Games being held in Singapore next August.

Malta as a centre stage for Waterski Confederation set up

Charles Camenzuli

MOC Director of Media

For the Maltese Olympic Committee 14 and 15 May were important dates as it was instrumental for the establishment of the Confederation of the Mediterranean Countries for Waterski and Wakeboard .

Malta was the centre stage for a very important moment step in the waterski world that of hosting and organising the first Congress of the Confederation of the Mediterranean Countries for Waterski and Wakeboard .

The appointment had a great significance as it is the very first workshop dealing with different aspects of this sport. The goal: to have this sport as regular discipline at next Mediterranean Games .

The programme of the two day meeting included as primary points the approval of the statute and the drawing up of waterski and wakeboard development programme in the Mediterranean area.

The Congress was attended by all the Mediterranean countries: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia, Syria, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

Many leading personalities in the world of sport attended the Media Conference and the Congress including Amar Addadi, the President of the Mediterranean Games; Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, President of the Maltese Olympic Committee and head of the organising committee for the next Mediterranean Games in Volos 2013; Alain Amade, President of Europe and Africa (E&A Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF); Silvio Falcioni, President of the Italian Waterski Federation and President of the Confederation of the Mediterranean Countries as well as Depi Papadimitriou, Vice President of the Confederation.

Zambia gets first Olympic sports centre

IOC president Jacques Rogge opened a $10 million multi-sports centre in this impoverished southern African country last week as part of a drive to spread the Olympic spirit to the developing world.

"We are convinced that our first priority is taking care of the youth and it is for this reason that we have built this centre together with all of you," Rogge said at the opening ceremony in Lusaka, Zambia's capital.

More than 2,000 athletes tried out the centre's outdoor and indoor tracks, fields and other facilities as well as classrooms, a library, and Internet lab.

Pauline Konni, a 19-year-old black belt in taekwondo, thanked the International Olympic Committee for giving Africa the facility, and said she hoped similar centres would be built elsewhere in the country.

The facility, the first Olympic Youth Development Centre, is part of the IOC's "Sports for Hope Programme" designed to provide better sports facilities in developing countries.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda blamed poor facilities for lack of sporting success in this country of 12 million. Zambia has participated in 11 Olympics and won only two medals - a bronze in boxing in 1984 and a silver in the 400-metre hurdles in 1996.

"This center will obviously help Zambia increase her chances at All-Africa, Commonwealth and Olympic Games," Banda said at the ceremony.

The Zambian government donated 14 hectares (34 acres) for the centre to the National Olympic Committee of Zambia. Zambian track and field, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, handball and hockey authorities gave money and technical expertise.

The IOC oversaw construction and will support Zambian Olympic officials who will run and maintain the centre.

Brazil creates committee to oversee 2016 Olympics

Brazil is creating a committee comprised of all levels of government to coordinate Rio's preparations for the 2016 Olympics.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is signing a document creating the Olympic Public Authority, which brings together the federal, state and city governments to oversee the games' preparations.

The Brazilian governments says the committee's goal will be "to coordinate public services, the implementation and the completion of the needed infrastructure to host" the Olympics.

The government said in a statement last Wednesday the creation of the consortium with all levels of government was one of the guarantees given by Brazil to the International Olympic Committee when Rio bid for the games.

Rio to propose changes in some 2016 Olympic venues

Rio de Janeiro will propose moving some sports venues for the 2016 Olympics in an effort to revitalise its waterfront.

Rio officials say the proposal will be made by Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes when members of the International Olympic Committee visit the city next week.

The city wants to change the location of temporary venues for boxing, weightlifting, table tennis and badminton, and move part of the media centre from the Barra district to the waterfront.

The changes would have to be analysed and approved by the IOC.

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee said last week it was analysing the impact the changes would have in the initial project.

Beach volleyball qualification changes

The IOC has ratified a change to the beach volleyball qualifying process for the 2012 London Olympics.

Qualifying will now be based on national federations rather than individual two-man and two-women teams.

The beach volleyball tournament will consist of 24 pairs per gender. Besides the hosts, the 16 highest ranked national federations as of 17 June, 2012, will be included along with the five winners of the Continental Beach Volleyball Cup and the finalists of the beach volleyball World Cup.

In indoor volleyball, 12 male and female teams will compete, including the host, the top three from the 2011 World Cup, three teams from the Olympic Qualification tournaments and one from each continental qualifying tournament.

Rhythmic gymnastics approves Wembley move for 2012

The international gymnastics federation has approved a cost-saving change in venue for rhythmic gymnastics at the 2012 London Olympics.

The FIG executive committee agreed last week to move the rhythmic events to Wembley Arena in north London.

The competition was originally scheduled to be held at a temporary venue near the Olympic Park in east London. But London organizers decided last year to scrap the temporary facility and relocate rhythmic gymnastics and badminton to Wembley, a move that will save tens of millions of pounds.

The two sports expressed concern about the travel time between the athletes' village and Wembley, and discussions dragged on for months.

Badminton is expected to ratify the move soon.