The ninth European Youth Olympic Festival was held in Belgrade between 22 and 28 July with the following sports disciplines: Athletics, Swimming, Judo, Basketball, Volleyball, Water Polo, Handball, Table Tennis, Gymnastics, Tennis and Cycling.
Malta took part with six athletes – four in Athletics (Francesca Xuereb, Martina Xuereb, Alessandra Pace and Andy Grech) and two in Judo (Alexander Attard and Aaron Bezzina).
This time round, Malta obtained quite an excellent result in such high-level competition when Francesca Xuereb just missed winning a bronze medal, finishing fourth in the 400m event. The 16-year-old clocked 55.47 seconds to finish fourth, just 0.41 seconds behind bronze medallist Olha Zemlyak, of Ukraine, who clocked 55.06s.
Earlier in June, Francesca had won three medals for Malta at the Monaco Games for European Small States.
The first European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) was held in 1991 under the name of the European Youth Olympic Days. Malta has taken part ever since.
The idea was launched by Jacques Rogge, at the time the President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), and today’s President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Rogge’s idea was supported by the EOC, and in 1991, Brussels was the first to host the potential Olympians in summer sports (Athletics, Gymnastics, Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Football, Hockey, Judo). Two years later, the EYOF Winter was also held, and since then the event has taken place both in summer and winter sports every two (odd) years.
The Maltese Olympic Committee yesterday presented the six athletes and athletics coach Mark Farrugia with a certificate after their positive participation in the Belgrade event.
Joe Cassar, secretary general, Envic Galea, Director of Youth of the Maltese Olympic Committee, and Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, president, explained in detail what led to the positive results, especially that of Francesca Xuereb in these Games.
They all said these youngsters represented Malta’s sporting future and it was obvious they needed more investment to be able to continue providing the island with more positive results, perhaps even winning medals at higher levels than the Games for European Small Nations. (See story in sports section)
* * *