The huge amount of success obtained in athletics on the first day of competition in Catania Sicily is enough proof to justify that authorities, in this instance the Malta Olympic Committee, should take heed and adopt the right policies to sponsor fully our valiant youngsters and not rely on parents to fork out the FULL expense for their charges to represent Malta. Among the medal winners featured Alessia Cristina, the best thing to happen to Maltese athletics since Diane Borg. Determined Alessia took third spot in a hotly contested 100m final with the other Pembroke girl on the team, Rachela Pace, making it a far as the semi-final. Was the pitting of our two girls in the same semi-final a coincidence, one is to surmise? Nonetheless, we live to fight another day and Pembroke Athleta wills Rachela the power to shine, in her Long Jump event and to crown it all. In the Relay. Meantime Alessia must indeed feel proud, as we all are, that she was pitted against older girls hailing from Martinique, who she will likely face again – fearlessly no doubt – at their next clash in the 200m. At present one is not aware of how Daniel Borg Ferando fared but for this promising youth success is also a matter of time. The last time Sicily hosted these Games we finished with 7 medals in athletics – an amount already surpassed this first day. Come on Pembroke, let us pitch in to bring to Malta its finest result yet.
