Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/899902
maltatoday SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2017 News Malta's top model Tiffany Pisani is jetting off to Las Vegas to represent Malta in the Miss Universe pageant. Pisani, who shot to fame after winning Britain's Next Top Model in 2010, will be representing Malta at the Miss Universe competition, described as "the biggest and most followed pageant in the world," having been crowned Miss Universe Malta last August. She will now compete against representatives from another 98 countries from around the globe in Las Vegas during the three week competition, participating in various photo and film shoots, gala events, charity events and interviews. Over a billion people worldwide will be watching the Miss Universe finale when it is aired live on FOX on 26th November from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. The ceremony will be hosted by Steve Harvey for the third year in succession. Tradition demands that last year's winner, Iris Mittenaere from France, will crown her successor and hand over the glittering prize of this global competition - a one-year contract with MUO and IMG in New York. TIFFANY... FIRST GREAT BRITAIN, NOW THE UNIVERSE Football refs give Gzira FC boss the red card PAUL COCKS THE president of the Malta Football Referees Asso- ciation has rebuffed claims made by the Gzira United FC president, who accused many referees of being incompe- tent 'or worse'. Gzira boss Sharlon Pace has said he believed that ref- erees were making too many mistakes for all of them to be genuine and too many decisions were being taken against his club to be mere coincidence. But Alexie Tabone told MaltaToday that the asso- ciation vehemently criticised Pace's claims, saying the club president had failed to pre- sent one shred of evidence. "His claims were very dam- aging and cast a shadow of doubt over the good faith and impartiality of referees," he said. "We condemn the language used by Pace and we are considering whether to take any action." Pace insisted he had no proof except for the track re- cord of refereeing decisions. "If I had proof of collusion or anything else, you can rest assured I will be the first to go to the authorities, and by that, I do not mean the MFA," he had said. Pace said he believed that small teams that make it to the top tier of local football against all odds are treated like his team had so far. Only if they manage to weather the storm of unfavourable and questionable decisions are they accepted as "a big team". "I do not make these claims lightly, nor I am doing this only for the sake of my club, although that has to be my focus," Pace had told Malta- Today. "My interest is making sure that this game I love so much is a fair and playing on a level playing field by all involved." He also said it was big pity that there were no longer any TV programmes that aired at the end of the weekend and which used to analyse and dissect any and all questionable refereeing decisions, as they did with players' behaviour on the pitch. Tabone had a more urgent worry. "I hope that this scare- mongering by the Gzira pres- ident does not lead to any violence," he said. "God forbid if any of the club's players, officials or supporters – as has hap- pened in the past – lift a finger against a referee, be it in the FA Youth or the Pre- mier," If that happened, Tabone vowed the association would take immediate drastic ac- tion against the guilty parties.