The period of expectancy is over and now is the moment of truth.

After so many long months – perhaps years – of preparations for these Games in Monaco, the moment of truth has finally arrived.

As from today, until next Saturday all eyes of the Maltese sporting public will be on the 57 athletes representing the country here.

The setting is excellent. Monaco is a beautiful place surrounded by the blue Mediterranean Sea and the French mountains. The weather, at least until yesterday, was also excellent with brilliant sunshine, clear blue skies and high temperatures which, at one moment, must have reached 24 degrees C.

We are very well aware that the athletes are well prepared. We had noted that in Malta and now we have also seen some of them during their final preparations on Sunday and yesterday.

The athletes are also eager for the Games to start as are the officials, especially Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco, the MOC President, and Pippo Psaila, MOC Director of Sport and Chef de Mission, who has left no stone unturned in making sure the preparation of the athletes was the best possible.

No wonder that Psaila has been bold enough to make his usual prediction. He told me that Malta this time should win nine gold medals, 14 silver and 15 bronze which would bring a total of 38 medals.

Before we came here, he had predicted Malta will get close to the Andorra haul, or perhaps, even slightly improve that amount. It was, of course, bold on his part to make such a prediction, but let us not forget that even in the past, Psaila always made such predictions and in most cases, he has been nearly always correct. Let us all hope that he is correct also now.

Of course, it would have been much better had the shooting (Trap, Double Trap and Skeet), as well as the Squash and women’s Basketball disciplines been included.

It would have even been better had the well known swimmer Ashley Callus had accepted Malta’s invitation to join the squad from Australia. His presence would have guaranteed at least another four medals for Malta. But it was not to be, although, hopefully, he would be joining Team Malta in future.

Predictions apart, it is also time to join the Maltese bandwagon in wishing sincere good luck to all the Maltese athletes.

Go Malta, go!