Rebecca Madyson was yesterday awarded a Platinum Award by the Malta Olympic Committee. It is the top award of the annual event organised by the MOC to recognise the feats of the Maltese athletes throughout the year.
Rebecca Madyson nee Attard previously shot Trap for Australia where she won a medal at the Oceania Games. Since 2004 she registered to shoot for Malta. Rebecca represented Malta at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games where 12 competitors from nine countries took part. She won a silver medal, the highest medal ever won by a Maltese athlete at these Games.
The Gold Award went to three individuals – shooter William Chetcuti, pool player Duncan Bezzina and table-football world ranked No. 1 Massimo Cremona, as well as the crew of Artie, averaging an age of 25, which finished overall second in this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race.
There was also a second award for both William Chetcuti and Duncan Bezzina. Chetcuti, together with his Double Trap team partner Rodney Micallef, took a bronze, as did Bezzina together with the Pool national team.
There was also recognition for athletes who have represented Malta but live elsewhere. These included Simon Gerada (table-tennis), Lawn Bowls pairs team of Leonard Callus and Francis Vella, and the triples team, composed of Joseph Attard, Victor Brincat and Alfred Vella.
The MOC also inducted six former sportsmen/officials into the Sports Hall of Fame.
These are Oscar Aquilina, a former Sliema Sports Association and Amateur Swimming Association president, Joseph Bajada, former beloved president of the Malta Amateur Athletics Association, Lolly Borg, former Floriana and Malta footballer, Karm Borg, who played and coached football and waterpolo and also a former MOC president, Michael Soler, the great Sliema and Malta waterpolo goalkeeper of the 1970s and 1980s and top shooter Larry Vella who managed three straights in a row at the Moscow 1980 Olympics, where he placed 11th in the Trap competition.
The ceremony was held at the Dolmen Hotel in Bugibba, yesterday evening. It was attended by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Michael Frendo, who was representing Minister of Education Dr Louis Galea.
Dr Frendo said he was honoured to be present for such an occasion which brought him memories of past occasions when he had also been responsible for this sector.
MOC President Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco also addressed those present, saying that it had been a successful year for Maltese sport.
He highlighted the successes of Maltese athletes during the past year especially those of shooters Rebecca Madyson and William Chetcuti, the two medal winners at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
He also congratulated the award winners, and went on to thank those who contributed to the athletes’ successes.