“We fell short of what we predicted but it still was a satisfactory result”

Malta’s Chef de Mission and MOC Director of Sport Pippo Psaila yesterday indicated he will remain a few days, at least, out of sport, as he needed a rest.

Addressing the press on the athletics track of the Stade Louis II seconds after the final race on the programme, an emotional Psaila said he was tired. “I have been working hard for the past two years. I need a rest, at least for a few days. Decisions may have to be taken after that,” he said, indicating that he might announce he is stepping down from the post of Chef de Mission

Psaila defended Team Malta’s haul of medals at these Monaco Games.

Malta won a total of 30 medals - four gold, nine silver and 17 bronze - with several athletes failing to produce their best.

Psaila claimed his team’s record, seven short of Andorra’s tally, proved that overall, the Malta team had a satisfactory performance. “Not good, but neither can anyone describe it as bad,” he said.

The MOC Director of Sports said: “Medals-wise, our results were close to what we were expecting. At the end of the week, we were expected to have something between 35 and 38 medals”.

“It is true our projections fell short by five medals but the fact that we are going home with 30 medals is no mean feat”, he admitted.

Without mentioning anyone or any sport by name, Pippo Psaila pointed his fingers at an association which lost three medals and at those who were not pulling their weight and produced some disappointing results and performances here.

“In athletics, we are three medals short but one cannot put the blame on a squad with an average age of 21 years and eight months,” he added.