Reference the article that appeared in The Malta Independent on Sunday the 11 December 2005 regarding the Malta Olympic Sports Awards and specifically to the snooker team and Alex Borg kindly note that for good orders sake the least we expected, as being one of the parties in the matter is a request from the paper to comment on the matter which unfortunately as reported in your paper had a number of inaccuracies.

The facts are as follows:

The Malta Olympic Sports Awards Board received a nomination from the local National Association to include both Alex Borg for his individual feat and also for the snooker team for their result in the European Championship during 2005.

Following an in depth analysis of both nominations the adjudicating committee proposed to the MOC Executive Committee that Alex Borg be awarded the platinum award and the team, the gold award.

The MOC Executive, after discussing the matter, confirmed the adjudicating committee’s proposal.

The repective national association, and also the respective athletes, were duly advised.

In the interim period Alex Borg rang the MOC offices and asked how come he was not included in the outstanding athletes’ scheme recently launched by the MOC.

The MOC Secretary General advised Alex Borg that in view of the fact that neither snooker nor billiards were an Olympic sport, (apart from the fact that the funds were limited), they could not yet be a part of this scheme which was first and foremost designed to assist William Chetcuti to win an Olympic Medal in the forthcoming Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

The MOC secretary informed him that a good part of the required sum to support the scheme would be derived from the IOC Olympic Solidarity funding which is open only to summer and winter Olympic Sport disciplines.

At that point in time we heard nothing else.

Some weeks ago to be exact, on the 18 November, our secretarial staff contacted all nominees to remind them that on the 24 November there would be the announcment of the nominees to the media.

At this point in time we were advised that Alex Borg would be abroad and unable to attend the 8 December presentation Gala event.

After some weeks the MOC phoned all parties to remind them of the 8 December activity.

At this point in time the MOC was notified that all snooker players would be boycotting the 8 December presentation. The MOC contacted the national assocaition to verify the matter and get more details and the latter advised that they were looking into it.

The athletes requested a meeting with the MOC which was eventually held on 2 December.

During the meeting the snooker players put forward their position and the MOC advised them that they had supported their national association in the past four years with grants running in thousands of liri: so, in fact ,the MOC had supported their sport.

The MOC also advised that snooker was not part of any MOC Official recognised games programme either at elite or at youth level and nor was it an Olympic Sport and, as such, the grant reflected both this and the fact that only Lm150,000 on average were voted to the MOC for all 47 national associations for the preparation and participation in International events since recent years.

The MOC immediately advised the national association of the situation and the association informed the MOC that the matter would be discussed at their board meeting on Monday 5 December. The national association indicated that they could withdraw the nomination in the event that the athletes remain firm on their position.

The MOC confirmed to the association that it would respect the decision of the association and if the athletes did not change their stand, the MOC would follow suit and withdraw the athletes, more so if a request from their national association was made.

All this in fact materialised and the MOC received a formal request to withdraw the athletes late on Monday 5 December.

The MOC, in its efforts to safeguard the sovereignty of its member national associations, and firmly believing that the national association was following the correct line of action, (as the MOC can never condone/accept any form of pressure from whatever quarter but especially from athletes,) immediately withdrew ALL nominated athletes of this national association.

The MOC would like to state that the relations with the national association of Billiards and Snooker are and have always been very good and that a close rapport exists in the true Olympic Spirit. It is precisely for this reason that we backed their request.

The essence of sport is fair play and fair play must be at all levels and in all circumstances as it is not a pick or choose matter.

JOE CASSAR

MOC general secretary