I write these few words in my personal capacity as a follower and administrator of local sport.

I suggest to Mr John Borg (TMID, 24 July) that he looks up the curricula vitae of the sportsmen I have listed below so that he may realise that, yes, we Maltese do have our international sporting results, achievements and heroes like other nations: William Chetcuti (shooting), Alex Borg (billiards and snooker), Tony Drago (snooker), Carmel Busuttil (football), Michael Mifsud (football), Massimo Cremona (table football). Maybe we can never aspire to a higher level, given our size and geographical limitations, but we can possibly maintain our grounds.

Of all the sport clubs on the island, I strongly believe that Birkirkara FC are the last who can moan about a lack of sporting achievement over the past few years, at least on a local level.

Birkirkara FC are the current champions and most honours of the past football season have indeed been won by athletes coming from this club – and quite rightly so! It is indeed one of the best-organised clubs, at all levels, with rather top facilities (installed with substantial central government assistance) that are constantly in use, and a healthy general organisational set-up.

So why all this moaning on the aftermath of a bad result at the beginning of our football season when, surely, our athletes are not in a position to face teams who are probably at their peak at this time of the year?

Blaming sports facilities is the last thing I expect from a local sports administrator. Football facilities in Malta are available and John Borg knows it.

Birkirkara FC also have an adjacent full-sized football pitch next to their excellent facilities at the Infetti.

This is not to mention the facilities of other clubs like the Hibernians’ complex in Corradino, the recently opened Luxol FC pitch and Tarxien Rainbows FC’s facilities, as well as other smaller facilities.

On another note, I expected Mr Borg to note that the National Football League in the Faroe Islands is currently midway through the second round, while our league has just started. In fact, when Birkirkara played against the Faroe Island team, our league had not started.

This is easily understandable, not to say elementary, when we remember the different climatic conditions between these two small islands.

Moreover, the Faroe Island are ranked 169 while Malta is ranked 122 in the FIFA rankings.

So, is the comparison right or just painful for those who do not do their homework well?

We have to realise once and for all that these preliminary European club competitions require a different domestic league set-up if we ever want to succeed. I will certainly not blame our athletes for their level of pre-season training in our July and August temperatures compared to their counterparts who are (at this time of the year) at the peak of their athletic capabilities.

Victor Battistino

Birzebbuga