It has long been felt that this highly promising youngster should be given particular attention by the local sporting authorities. Rightly so, not only because he has managed to put Malta's name on the sporting map despite being only 20 years old, but also because he has obtained consistent good results in the several international competitions in which he has taken part over the past few years.

The decision to set up this Outstanding Athlete Scheme - which is open to any athlete in Malta and Gozo - must be considered as another feather in the cap of the Malta Olympic Committee, which has again showed that it really means business where the athletes' - and the country's - interests are at stake.

As everyone is aware, Malta has never managed to win an Olympic medal so far and William Chetcuti seems to be the only real bright prospect at present, especially for the Beijing Games in three years' time.

Of course, there may be those who might say that the MOC is already putting a lot of pressure on the young shooter. This is not right, in my humble opinion.

In fact, I consider the MOC's decision as the best they could ever take in the circumstances. We must all agree that we all have to make the best out of the situation. And once we all agree that we have a proven world class athlete among our ranks, we must all encourage him to become even more successful.

And therefore, why not prepare him from now for an Olympic medal? Three years are a long wait, but success is not obtained overnight. In the process Chetcuti will have to go through some serious and professional preparation, including weekly training apart from participation in local and, more importantly, international shoots, where he will also have the added burden of achieving his qualification to the Olympic Games. If he is not given the opportunity to shoot as much as his rivals, then no one can expect miracles from this youngster who has already given Malta and all local sports lovers, in particular shooting enthusiasts, a lot to shout about.

The Malta Olympic Committee, through its president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, and the Director of Sports, Pippo Psaila, have set out some targets for Chetcuti to be able to reach his goal. They have gone on record saying that they need to collect the sum of Lm120,000 to prepare Chetcuti in the proper manner for this Beijing medal challenge.

Yet, so far, they do not have the funds available and their ambitious target is still out of reach. However, knowing Farrugia Sacco and Psaila, as well as the Malta Olympic Committee in toto, I am sure they will be receiving all the necessary backing to provide Chetcuti with the best training and equipment to maintain his challenge.

Success breeds success and that is why I am convinced that the MOC will eventually obtain the necessary funds to support Chetcuti. The MOC has already invested thousands of Maltese liri on the Shooting Federation, especially on Chetcuti, during the past 30 months or so. The return has been highly impressive, although potential sponsors unfortunately might have not taken note of it. He has won gold medals at the Malta and Andorra Small Nations Games, a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, a gold medal at the European junior championships and set a world record in the process. He also holds the world record in Double Trap with a score of 194/200. He also won a silver medal in the Belgrade European Championships and won another gold medal at the Junior championships at Sabbia d'Oro in Italy. Now he has also qualified to take part in the World Cup finals in Dubai, confirming that he is now ranked among the top 12 Double Trap shooters in the world. What else does Chetcuti need to be termed "exceptional athlete" as Farrugia Sacco and Psaila quite rightly described him last Thursday?

This new 'investment' in such an outstanding athlete will obviously help Chetcuti to sharpen his skills in the run-up to the 2008 Games. The funds being voted for the young shooter's preparation will allow Chetcuti to participate in Grand Prix's, ISSF World Cups, ISSF world championships, European Championships, World Cups, GSSE Games, Mediterranean Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. In the past, until this year, it was not possible for the MOC and the Shooting Federation to afford sending Chetcuti to all these events. They simply did not have the funds available - the MOC has other commitments to deal with.

But I and all local sports enthusiasts are now glad to hear that, at last, Chetcuti has managed to get the right deal. The MOC project named "Quest for Glory" should be commended by one and all and I expect the government, though the Maltese Council for Sport, and the major private enterprises on the island to support such a programme with a massive financial boost.

Henry Brincat

Sports Editor

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