TEAM MALTA medal winners, their respective officials, executive directors of the Maltese Olympic Committee as well as members of the sport media who were present for the 13th Edition of the Games of Small States of Europe held in Cyprus attended the Media Conference held at the MOC Headquarters during which was given a general analysis of what happened between 1 and 6 June.

The Media Conference conducted by Charles Camenzuli, Director of Media of the MOC, was addressed by Joseph Cassar, General Secretary, who gave a general overview of the Games from the MOC perspective as well as he gave details of the outcome from the General Assembly and from the meetings held with leading personalities in the world of sport including Amaar Addadi – President of the Mediterranean Games International Committee and Patrick Hickey – President of the European Olympic Committees.

Vincent Scicluna who was Chef de Mission of Team Malta and Adele Muscat assistant Chef de Mission for Team Malta based in Limassol gave an account of what the Malta Contingent went through during its stay in Cyprus.

A general analysis of Team Malta’s performance sport by sport as well as what was eventually expected, obtained and setbacks through injuries was given by MOC Director of Sport Mark Cutajar who made emphasis that Malta’s participation in Cyprus was a rather positive one if one has to consider certain factors at times uncalled for.

Cutajar pointed that towards Liechtenstein 2011, the MOC will be starting soonest to see how the athletes for disciplines in programme will be in motion in order to keep pace with other GSSE nations.

Mr. Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, President of the Maltese Olympic Committee went through various aspects evident during Malta’s participation in Cyprus. Reference was made that there should be an increase in fighting spirit from certain athletes in as much such factor will definitely be an asset. MOC President commented on the presence of certain foreign athletes within GSSE contingents as well as to certain difficulties and mishaps noted within the organisation in Cyprus.

He also pointed out on the inclusion of Montenegro within the GSSE family as well as to the fact that with limited amount of financial support, Team Malta athletes managed to register such positive results.

On behalf of the Maltese Olympic Committee, MOC President thanked all those who have sport at heart and who helped Team Malta during its performance at the 13th GSSE in Cyprus.

FIFA told not to change Olympic age rules

The IOC is adamant on keeping the current age format for Olympic football and will cut back the size of the tournament if governing body FIFA changes the player eligibility rules.

In an interview with the Associated Press, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the quality of the competition would suffer if FIFA lowers the age limit for the men’s tournament.

Rogge said he has made clear to FIFA president Sepp Blatter that the IOC will reduce the number of teams if FIFA goes through with the change from an under-23 to under-21 format.

That could mean reducing the men’s field for the 2012 London Olympics from 16 to 12 teams or, in the extreme scenario, dropping the sport altogether.

“I’m not going to enter in hypothetical situations and speculation,” Rogge said. “It is clear and FIFA know it, that the ultimate eligibility rules will affect the size of the competition format. It relates to the value of the event.”

Under current rules, the Olympic tournament is for players 23 and under. Teams are also allowed to field three “over age” players. The restrictions were put in place by FIFA, with IOC approval, to protect the supremacy of the World Cup as the sport’s premier competition.

The FIFA executive committee recently said it wanted to limit the tournament to players 21 and under, or eliminate the rule on allowing three players over 23.

The IOC executive board is monitoring the situation and prepared to act.

“I said clearly to Sepp that the IOC is happy with the current system,” Rogge said. “I said very clearly to Sepp Blatter that a change downwards for the eligibility rule would definitely diminish the appeal of the tournament. Sepp knows exactly that this would affect the format of the tournament.”

“They know exactly what we want,” Rogge added. “We’ll wait and see what they’re doing.”

Blatter has said that teams that qualify for FIFA’s under-20 World Cup, which is played every two years, could be chosen to compete in the Olympics the following year.

FIFA put off a decision on the Olympic rules at its Congress in Nassau, Bahamas, earlier this month. Blatter said he was forming a special commission to further study the issue.

“There were probably different views,” Rogge said. “It seems to be clear that some continents did not want to change the rules and some did want to change the rules. Being a wise man, Sepp Blatter took it out of the agenda.”

In addition, Rogge has asked Blatter to put the Olympics on FIFA’s “combined program” – the list of competitions for which clubs are required to release their players to national teams. At last year’s Beijing Olympics, where Lionel Messi helped Argentina to the gold medal, several European clubs fought to keep their players out of the games.

“For some reason, the Olympics programme is not on this combined programme, and that would have avoided lots of the problems we had in Beijing,” Rogge said. “We said to FIFA: please keep (the under-23 format) as it is and put us on the program.”

Rogge said he will contact Blatter immediately after this month’s Confederations Cup in South Africa to pursue a “sensible solution.”

He said organisers of the 2012 London Olympics need to know soon what format the tournament will take.

“We cannot let London be in uncertainty for too long,” Rogge said. “I will ask Sepp Blatter to make haste.”

The IOC executive board meets tomorrow and on Tuesday in Lausanne, and then again in Berlin in mid-August when it will finalise the sports programme for London. Among possible changes are the addition of women’s boxing.

Women’s boxing was turned down by the IOC in 2005, but Rogge said the programme commission now backs its application because the sport meets the criteria for universality and evenly matched fighters in each weight category. Men’s categories would be reduced to make way for women.

Olympic Day run next Sunday

This year’s Olympic Day will be celebrated under the theme “Move, Learn and Discover”. As part of the celebrations a number of Fun Runs are also being organised by the Maltese Olympic Committee in collaboration with the Malta Amateur Athletics Association and in conjunction with McDonald`s.

This will take place next Sunday starting in Bugibba from McDonald’s Restaurant located on Islet Promenade. Participation is free of charge.

Official Olympic Day T-shirts and caps will be given to all participants including an official Olympic Day IOC Certificate signed by the President of the IOC Dr. Jacques Rogge. Three running distances will be held the 2.5K, the 5K and the 10K.

MIA Olympic Special – What’s On

Tomorrow on TVM at 5.15pm and on E22 at 7pm; Thursday 18 June on E22 at 10am (RPT), Friday 19 June on TVM at 10am (RPT) and Saturday 20 June on E22 at 3pm (RPT) will feature the following:

Special Programme – Games of the Small States of Europe – Part II

The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE) is a biennial multi-sport event that has been organised by the National Olympic Committees of eight European small states since 1985. Membership consists of countries that are represented by autonomous National Olympic Committees, are located in Europe, and which have a population of less than one million. The participating countries are Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and San Marino, all of which have participated since the first Games in 1985.

The flame burning throughout the XIII Games of the Small States of Europe has gone out. But it shall remaining burning forever in the hearts of the thousands of people who with their performances, competitiveness and sportsmanship gave a little piece of their life to the XIII competition and for the small nations with big hearts and souls. Cyprus handed over the Games Flag to Liechtenstein – the nation that will host the XIV GSSE which may also see a debut from Montenegro.

MIA Olympic Magazine will exclusively feature a round up of what happened during the past week in Cyprus. Presenter Vicky Licari was there and will give us an in depth look at all the ups and downs of the XIII Games of the Small States of Europe. This will be the second part of a series of programmes where this week we will also hear what the MOC officials had to say on these Games during a post press conference held last week.