Maltese Olympic Committee president Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco yesterday told the press that the result of 30 medals at these Games must be considered as positive.

He said: “In my opinion, when we consider certain circumstances, for example, that Malta was taking part only in eight disciplines of the 11 that were contested here, then the number of 30 medals is not bad, even if the colour - in some cases - was not that which we expected.”

He explained that the result could have been better. “On some occasions we were unlucky. In others we lost medals when we had almost bagged them. It is evident after this edition, that some things went wrong. We have to start afresh in certain cases. Some of the athletes are past their prime. We need younger blood and we have to widen the base of our athletes, especially for the athletics relays because some injuries have hampered us here and we did not have the resources to recover.”

Farrugia Sacco said he considered the fact that 30 medals was not really very far away from the number gained in Andorra - 37. He added: “In the last 10 years, we have kept more or less a good rhythm - 30 plus medals. Only in the Liechtenstein edition in 1999 that we missed that target. Before these Games I had also made my predictions. I thought we would win 33 medals, but we must admit it was difficult.

“We experienced some positive results, especially in athletics, sailing, judo, tennis and gymnastics. In the rest of the disciplines we expected more. Of course, we were not happy to have lost some medals, but this certainly does not mean that the athletes did not produce their best.

“I am sure the associations are working hard. That they did not win as much as we expected them to was not their fault. It was probably the fault of those who brought over a certain number of so-called foreign, though eligible, athletes. For example, Monaco had only three Monagesque athletes from a squad of 30. The same can be said of Cyprus who had several Greek athletes.

Informed about Pippo Psaila’s declaration that he needed a rest, Farrugia Saco said he had only been told that he was considering resigning from the post of Chef de Mission. “I saw him talking to the press on the track, but we have not yet made contact. The Games have just ended. Now it is a moment of reflection, certainly not to take decisions.”