It is encouraging to note that we all agree on one focal point – we would like to have a world class athlete or an Olympic medal one day. Fair enough for such a strong, proud and aspiring population. Having no ambition is a non-starter here in Malta.
Our national pride is probably the envy of some nations, considering our territorial size (which is roughly one-seventh the size of London or the same as a British county). Yet still, we share the top table with other nations.
Once this issue is agreed upon, we have to move on to get there. And this is where we start to have mixed opinions. “What are the means?” we ask. “Finance, facilities, coaches, proper monitoring, sound administration etc etc…” The list is longer and it could also include better school facilities, less academic pressure and more flexible schooling. I strongly believe that we might miss a very crucial turning point at this stage. I ask, “Would we rather buy an international honour or should we mould it into being?”
With this thought in mind, some names come to mind: Pawlu Mifsud, Laurie Pace, Tony Drago, Carmel Busuttil (and many others) These are our modern age sporting icons and if we just stop and reflect on how they got there, then we have some answers available.
They did not possess the present-day facilities; certainly the financial means were not the same and probably the investment was not local but foreign. The substance, however, is always the same – the human being. All these athletes are as human as today’s athletes. They had a clear direction in mind and they were ambitious and prepared to make sacrifices in order to achieve.
I believe that this is what we are lacking today. Just one example should suffice: Carmel Busuttil – best local football player, captain of his high-flying team, an automatic choice for the national team – decides to improve! He joins an amateur Italian team, and finishes up as captain of a Belgian first division squad. In the process, he took up residence abroad, together with his young family, and humbly he made the grade. Meanwhile, he still remained faithful to his country and graced our national team when called. Tony Drago’s story is similar.
We envied other “smaller” and “poorer” countries like Eritrea and Kazakhistan because of a bronze medal in Athens. How did they get these medals? The athletes involved probably had to sacrifice their families and take up residence abroad to train with other top athletes and participate in
various international meets.
They did not stay at home, trying a bit of schooling, preferring their friends’ company, worrying about not going out at weekends and spending their limited money on keeping up with the trends – not that these are wrong. Most probably, they joined a foreign team, which could provide sparring with a larger number of athletes, made new friends, enjoyed a new experience – but the going must surely have been tough!
Our athletes are trying their best. Given the circumstances in which they operate in our culture, I believe that they have reached a limit. The next step is experience abroad. Opportunities for studying and working abroad should be better now for us and I see a future for those who are strong enough to take the plunge and try to emulate others who have done so before.
If our society can supply a large number of foreign diplomats, professionals, missionaries etc to other countries, could we not encourage aspiring athletes to have a similar experience?
Nothing is achieved without sacrifice, especially success, but we have to work for it and not buy it!