It is interesting to note that Fair Play and acts of Sportsmanship in Malta receive their fair share of recognition through the Sportsmanship Trophy. This award competition was instituted in Malta in 1974 by Messrs. Lewis Portelli and Fred Bennett, two household names in the local sports scene.

The object of the competition is to encourage sporting acts in any branch of sport, to promote fair play and to reward those considered the most worthy. Members of the public and the media covering sports events are invited to report any sporting act they feel merits consideration by the Adjudicating Committee. The outstanding skill or success of an entrant is not considered: it is the actual sporting act which is important.

Since the inception of the competition in 1974 past years’ winners of the Sportsmanship Trophy and of special diplomas have been connected with a wide array of sports disciplines such as Athletics, Basketball, Cycling, Football, Sailing, Tennis, Waterpolo, Horseracing, Wrestling, Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Triathlon, Canoeing, Handball as well refereeing, sports medicine and sport administration.

Details of the winning entries are sent each year to the International Organisation at UNESCO in Paris and it is pointed out with pride that some of the past winners of the local award have also been awarded the International Diploma as well as Letters of Congratulations alongside great names from the world of sport.

The goal of the International Committee for Fair Play (CIFP) is the worldwide defence and promotion of fair play. The activity of CIFP focuses on national and international organisations working for sport and education, on high level athletes, and very emphatically on children, adolescents and on those in charge of training them – the coaches and trainers.

The CIFP’s main objective is to decide about the awarding of International fair play prizes every year on the basis of the nominations filed to the CIFP by different organisations and private people. Any organisation and private person is entitled without restriction to nominate someone for a fair play prize.

The prize-winners include famous champions in men and women sport categories as well as lesser-known athletes, beginners and young people. Their conviction is to regard fairness as more important than winning at all costs. They provide an ideal for millions of athletes all over the world. The CIFP also awards prizes to outstanding athletes who have always excelled by their fairness and are now retiring from active sports. In this way the CIFP would like to encourage former athletes to remain model examples of fair play in sports.

With this aim in view, the C.I.F.P. commends attitudes matching this ideal and setting examples: every year the CIFP confers awards in three categories:

1. For an act of fair play, which cost or could have cost the victory to a contender who sacrificed or compromised his chances of winning by complying not only with the written rules of the sport, but also with the ‘unwritten’ ones.

2. A general attitude of sportsmanship all along a sports career, marked by an outstanding and constant spirit of fair play.

3. An activity aimed at promoting fair play: organisation of national or local campaigns, lectures, books, articles, reports or comments in the media.

In ascending order of merit, CIFP awards are as follows:-Letter of Congratulation in all the three categories; Honorary Diploma in all three categories; – International Fair Play Trophies:

1. Pierre de Coubertin Trophy – for an athlete or a team for an act of fair play (Category No. 1.)

2. Jean Borotra Trophy – for a person for his or her sporting career (Category No. 2.)

3. Willi Daume Trophy – for a person or an organisation for promotion of fair-play play (Categoy No. 3.)