Last Thursday’s launch by the Maltese Olympic Committee of a new scheme for youths must be welcomed by all who have sports at heart.

The setting up of this scheme is another feather in the cap of the Maltese Olympic Committee following in the ‘footsteps’ of the other schemes which have been ongoing for quite some time now and which have proved to be successful.

Twelve promising and talented youngsters have been drafted into the scheme and they will be benefiting from several advantages in order for them to be able to show improvement in the hope that in a few years’ time, they will be able to emulate their present heroes, like shooter William Chetcuti and judoka Marcon Bezzina.

These 12 youngsters have been selected from among 60 nominated by the associations or federations. Those selected have already showed that they are talented and promising, especially through their participation in international tournaments in their respective fields.

Of course, the MOC had to draw a line somewhere – not all those nominated could be accepted at the first time of asking. But there is hope that more youngsters will be in line to emulate these inaugural 12 athletes.

Although the MOC at present does not afford to increase the number because of lack of funds, it may become possible that through sponsorships and some added government financial aid, there will be others who have missed the first call – perhaps by just a whisker – to be asked to join forces in the scheme. So long as all the athletes selected are known to be talented and promising, I do not see anything wrong in including them in the list as well.

In such cases, we cannot look at numbers. We are aware that Malta is a small nation with a population of just over 400,000 and it is already difficult to produce any top class athletes from among such a small number.

It is therefore important for all bodies to meet and discuss ways and means of how to improve this scheme, not only by providing more funds, but also by providing more motivation for those already in and the many others who are already knocking on its doors.

The MOC has made it known that it is spending thousands of euros on this project and one here cannot but thank the local telephony company GO for accepting to be the main sponsors. It is only fair to give this company credit, as it has always been in the forefront in sports sponsorship since it was set up.

It is also very important for our sports administrators to continue investing in the youth sector. It is these youngsters who will eventually become Malta’s top sportsmen and women in a few years’ time.

At present Malta boasts two top personalities in the form of William Chetcuti and Marcon Bezzina. These two, it can be said, have reached the top echelons in their respective sport, and today they are referred to as role models for youngsters wishing to take up sport as a career.

I am quite confident that both athletes still have a lot to offer to Maltese sport. But it is only by showing the right attitude, determination to succeed and commitment to their sporting ‘job’ that they will be even more successful.

The same applies to the 12 youngsters selected to form part of the first list in the youth scheme of the MOC. They all have to aim to reach as high as Chetcuti and Bezzina. They all have to be taken care of in a special way. And this can only be done by their own associations/federations, through the effective guidance of the Maltese Olympic Committee. They are still very young and, of course, I am well aware that they cannot reach the skies at such a young age. But with a lot of patience and sacrifice, I am also sure they will succeed.

It is among the youths that the search is to be continuous for the most talented in the sports field. Here’s looking forward to a fruitful future for Maltese sport thanks to these young Maltese stars and the others that will follow them in the near future.