"Malta was rewarded to host the 24th Chess Olympiad for its efforts to maintain unity and peace within the FIDE, following the successive Haifa events and the shuttle peace talks by Malta's representative between the late Harry Golombek (UK) and Libya where the Counter Olympiad had taken place. This was the first time ever that the greatest chess-team manifestation, the 1980 Olympiad, was held in such a small state with a limited budget but nonetheless a great history. (...)"

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Mario Serracino-Inglott was the head co-organizer of 1980 Olympiad along with Pisano Rossi. Aged 10 he was the youngest ever Junior Champion of Malta. Although he never commited himself to a professional chess career he used to be a true spiritus movens of Maltese Chess. His workoholic lifestyle caused him major health problems that forced him to retire from chess world. Last years he became eminent member of Maltese community devoting himself to popularizing knwledge of Maltese language (he used to be a vice-president of Akkademja tal-Malti) and history, as he wrote a book on three ancient Maltese cities, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua.