The Games for the European Small States are just nine days away and Malta's Chef de Mission, PIPPO PSAILA, is again optimistic that Malta will be faring well with a good haul of medals, probably a result close to that achieved in Andorra two years ago and possibly better. In this interview with Henry Brincat, he also claims that a number of new emerging athletes will come to the fore in Monaco, adding that these will be the future of Maltese sport. He also comments about his decision to contest the MFA elections in July saying that he does not think that a possible election to the post of vice-president in July will interfere with his current post or vice-versa
Malta's Chef de Mission at the Monaco Games, Pippo Psaila has been working on these Games since two years, that is, soon after the Andorra Games had come to an end.
As is now customary with Psaila, who is also the Maltese Olympic Committee's Director of Sport, he has done his homework and has already predicted that Malta will win a good number of medals - close to the haul in Andorra (38) or even a bigger number.
He even told me that he would be in a better position to make a close to perfect prediction just before the Opening Ceremony of the Games on Monday 4 June. "The present conditions, according to Psaila, indicate that we will be very close to the Andorra haul, if not surpassing it as well, even in quality," he added.
What he is already certain of is that Malta will cut a good figure. "I have no doubt about that. Our athletes have been prepared quite well. We have monitored them all and I am sure they will be in better shape when the Games get underway in Monaco. They have worked very hard to achieve the Minimum Qualifying Standard (MQS). And that is certainly no joke. It is not easy for an athlete to qualify. And considering what the athletes have gone through and what they have achieved, then one can come to the conclusion that they deserve to be successful in Monaco. We make such MQSs so difficult to achieve in the knowledge that those who reach that target, will then find it easier to compete when the moment of truth arrives," he said.
Psaila added: "Not all the athletes have reached the MQSs set by the MOC. But this does not mean that they are inferior in quality. In truth, they all came very close to reaching the target and that is why they are included in the contingent. It was the athletes' first real test to get into the Games. Table-tennis, tennis, judo, sailing, gymnastics and bowls all got their MQSs but there were some doubts among the athletes (athletics) - five from 18 - and the swimmers - two from seven. These are two disciplines where, at the Games, there is a very high standard. In the pool, one can encounter European Championship finalists or even Olympic, Commonwealth and Mediterranean Games medal winners and even some record holders. This continues to add to the ever-improving image of these Games, so far as standards go," he added.
Psaila went on to explain why the Maltese flag-bearer, swimmer Angela Galea, has not yet reached her peak. "We are well aware of the situation. She has been working around 60 hours a week at the hospital since her graduation as a doctor. It is extremely difficult for her. But on the other hand, we are well aware that she knows how to compete when called to do so. She and Carol Walsh are two of our best ever athletes in this respect. They are always focused and psychologically well prepared. They both know how to handle the pressure. Let us not forget that when Angela won the gold medal in Andorra, we were not even expecting a bronze in that event," said Psaila.
The MOC Sports Director went on to confidently predict that in Monaco, there will be a good number of emerging athletes. "We have a group of sportsmen and sportswomen hailing from athletics, sailing, judo, gymnastics, swimming and tennis who are still very young. In swimming we have three boys who could give the country a lot of satisfactions in three to four years' time. This obviously augurs well for the future of Maltese sport. And let us not forget that the average age of the Maltese squad in Monaco will not be beyond 22. Seven gymnasts, two of the tennis players are five of the sailors are still under 16 years of age while seven athletes are under 18. It is a positive sign and it makes me feel confident that Malta's future in sport is guaranteed if we are able to nurture them properly," he said.
Asked what there is in store for athletes considered to be on the verge of closing their careers, Psaila said: "There will be some who have to call it a day soon. After the Games, we have to take stock of the situation. These former star athletes should be used in a different role. They are all role models in one sense or another. They could help us by becoming our ambassadors – selling the value of sport to schoolchildren and to those less fortunate," he said.
According to Psaila, the Monaco Games are a stepping stone to next year's Olympic Games in Beijing, China. "It all forms part of a four-year plan, according to the exigencies, to reach our targets. It is all a linear development programme culminating in next year's Olympic Games, where we will be making a bold effort to win our first ever Olympic medal.
"Of course, all this needs funding. The government provides Lm150,000 on an annual basis, but obviously this is not enough. With 47 federations affiliated to the Maltese Olympic Committee, I believe we perform miracles with such an amount, considering that most of that sum is spent on participation in Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Mediterrean Games and the Small Nations Games. In fact, revenue comes from other sources as well. Otherwise it would be impossible to take part. What we really need to have here is to create more synergies and try to convince the private sector to invest more in sport. Funding of sport on these islands still has a short-sighted vision. If given the proper tools, we could help turn sport into a successful venture together with those who invest in it," said Psaila.
The Chef de Mission went on to say that Maltese sport has lost a substantial amount of revenue in past years. "There is no longer the tobacco company, the national lottery has been privatised, the Good Causes Fund provides fewer sums that it used to in the past and national corporations who have been privatised no longer feel the obligation to sponsor sport the same way as they did before. Therefore the catchment for funds has been reduced considerably. If the authorities decide in favour of providing some form of fiscal relief to those who invest in sport, then things should change to the better. I can say things have improved already. It is important to keep sport as a national agenda.
"We certainly have dreams for the future of our youngsters in sport. We wish to see the sporting culture changing on the same wavelength as we invest in youngsters. Let us not forget that had it not been for all those volunteers in local sport (from grassroot levels to the top), we would not have been able to reach today's standards," he said.
I also asked Psaila whether he was satisfied with what Monaco has prepared for these Games. "There is the problem involving San Marino who have threatened to withdraw their contingent if the volleyball team is not allowed to take part. There is a personality problem between the president of the San Marino volleyball federation and the president of the European volleyball federation. Even IOC president Jacques Rogge has had to intervene. So far I do not know what the outcome has been, but a decision had to be taken one of these days. Apart from that, everything seems to be in order for the start of this 12th edition. There are still some final touches to be made, but I am hopeful that everything will be OK by 4 June, the day of the Opening Ceremony, which is being held in the harbour with the Formula One Grand Prix grandstand hosting the spectators. I am sure these Games will also be well organised," he added.
Before we parted, I also asked Psaila how it would effect his daily sporting life, were he to be elected vice-president of the MFA in the forthcoming July election, which he is contesting.
Psaila quickly said that he did not see why he could not keep his two posts. His post at the Maltese Olympic Committee comes to an end next year (the end of a four-year cycle). "I am convinced that we will be able to win our first Olympic medal in Beijing next year. If elected to the MFA vice-presidency, I would still have around 18 months to see how one adapts in the two posts. I am making no compromise. If I see there is a problem, I will then have to decide whether to keep one or the other post. Of course, the two posts require a strong challenge. They are both hard to handle. But in my normal style, I will try to do it in the best possible way. To be honest, and with all due respect to the 47 affiliated associations or federations, I must say that football has been my first love," he said.
Finally, Psaila said he was looking forward with optimism towards these Games. "Monaco is a new challenge and I firmly believe we are living up to it, no doubt about that," he said.