Imagine such a scenario in the football field. Malta takes part in the World Cup qualifiers and presents a good team which manage to create a number of surprises (I am not in any way trying to ridicule Malta’s potential. In fact I was very satisfied and glad after Malta’s very positive showing against Northern Ireland last Wednesday and now only hope that we can bring out the same determination and consistency in the qualifying games. I am only using football as an example to make it easier for readers to understand) and in so doing, manage to obtain a prestigious and historical qualification, months in advance from the finals, to the World Cup tournament as one of the best second placed countries in the groups.
The Maltese federation and enthusiasts are really happy and start to talk about Malta’s historical qualification to the Finals which are to be played in a distant country in a far Eastern or Oceania country.
In the months that follow this prestigious qualification, the Maltese team loses some important elements due to various reasons including injury and thus the team cannot produce the same level of performances as some months before. Faced with such circumstances, the foreign national coach has to present a transition squad with a mixture of some established and experienced players together with a number of inexperienced youngsters.
The prestigious finals start approaching and certain rumours start going round. Imagine the Maltese FA start thinking of deciding to opt out of such an historical event because they want to minimise their costs (the cost of the team’s trip to such a far away country is quite high) and also because they think the present squad is not of a high level!
What would be the reaction of the Maltese in general, not to mention the sports media and the players themselves? I assume scandal would be written all over the sports pages and the main term in conversations on the streets.
Maybe it will be true that the team would be inferior to the finalists in the competition, but then did the team not qualify on its own merit? Did not the players and technical staff obtain the qualification justly? Did we not see also discrepancies between finalists in previous editions? Are not there some more months that could be used for effective preparation for the team before the finals?
What about the effect on Malta’s image? Opting out would, I firmly believe, tarnish greatly Malta’s name in the sporting field and some would ridicule us for years to come. No one would take us seriously for many years and we could be the laughing stock in various sectors.
It is a fact that finances are limited and that such a historical, and most probably a one-off adventure as, in all probability, there will never be another chance to qualify for such a world-class event in the future, participation would create a substantial financial burden for the main national sporting body. However, are financial matters totally taking over the main idea behind sports and the Olympic ideal in general? Is denying a rightfully-won historical participation on financial grounds a right decision? Is the budget so tight (and no sign of help from sponsors is in the offing) that even administrative officials would not travel to these championships?
Readers might be thinking that I am wasting today’s article on some fiction story and some might have initially laughed at my analogy and idea of the qualification to the World Cup.
Yet I had to use such an example to explain what, I hope not, could be a reality in the coming months, albeit not in football.
I am not going to go into full details so as not to create some big initial stir since up till now one has only heard rumours from certain good sources, even if they are being consistent and seemingly realistic.
A Maltese team won, through its won merits, an historical and prestigious qualification to a major championship. However, as the weeks are passing and approaching the real competition, the team’s participation could be in jeopardy.
Rumours have it that talks have been going round between the local federation and the main local sporting body taking care of participation in such championships.
Money and the team’s level have, it seems, been the main topics on the agenda. Neither body seems to be ready to give a definite answer, although I think that, in the first place, there should be no answer as what was won by right should be provided (imagine winning the Eurovision song contest or some bid for hosting a major world competition and then opting out in the last hour).
I will stop here for today hoping that the rumours will remain as such. After all it is no secret that there is no greater thrill in sport than to represent your country, especially at large international events.
Other European countries would be proud, and a couple are in fact, I heard with my own ears, envying us right now for taking their place, of such a qualification. Yet we are thinking to opt out!! If this were to happen (I still believe local officials have enough maturity and sense to understand the sports principles and will not apply these rumours), it would be a massive and long-spoken case of ONLY IN MALTA!!!
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