Fil-jiem li għaddew fil-Ġnien tal-Gardjola l-Isla waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet, ttellgħu l-poloz tar-Regatta ta’ Jum il-Vitorja. Il-Port il-Kbir għal darb’oħra ser joffri sfond għal din ir-regatta li fiha ser jieħdu sehem 7 distretti li huma: il-Birgu, Birżebbuġa,  Bormla, l-Isla, il-Kalkara, il-Marsa u Marsamxett.  Huma jipparteċipaw f’għaxart itlielaq f’żewġ kategoriji differenti; A u B. Din is-sena mistennija jieħdu sehem 120 qaddief li magħhom jiżdiedu 25 sostitut li għandhom għan komuni, li huwa dak li jirbħu s-shield tar-regatta ta’ Jum il-Vitorja.

Minbarra l-poloz tal-korsiji għall-10 itlielaq, waqt il-konferenza tal-aħbarijiet indirizza lil dawk preżenti, is-Segretarju Parlamentari għaż-Żgħażagħ, Sport u Għaqdiet tal-Volontarjat, Dr Clifton Grima, li filwaqt li rringrazzja lil dawk kollha involuti fir regatta, saħaq li “bħala gvern kommessi li nipprovdu l-għajnuna kollha neċessarja fl-isport tar-regatta”.

Is-Segretarju Parlamentari qal li “SportMalta tagħti ‘input’ dirett fir-regatta nazzjonali billi tagħti l-għajnuna tagħha finanzjarjament biex isir dan l-avviniment, tieħu ħsieb il-loġistika tar-regatta iżda tagħti awtonomija lill-Federazzjoni fir-rigward tat-tlielaq, tassisti lill-klabbs kollha b’assistenza finanzjarja biex jibnu dgħajsa kull klabb u kif ukoll fuq il-websajt ta’ SportMalta r-riżultati tar-regatta jiġu trażmessi live.”

Tradizzjonalment, id-dgħajjes li jintużaw huma frejgatini, kajjikki, dgħajjes tal-pass u tal-midalji.  Dawn id-dgħajjes huma esebizzjoni ħajja ta’ sengħa li kull ma tmur qiegħda tintilef.  Dan għaliex dawn id-dgħajjes huma wkoll mibnija f’pajjiżna. Oriġinarjament, id-dgħajjes kienu tal-istess għamla bħal dawk li kienu jintużaw fil-ħidma ta’ kuljum mill-barklori, madanakollu maż-żmien saru xi modifikazzjonijiet sabiex dawn ikunu aktar utilizzati bħala dgħajjes tat-tlielaq.

Intant ir-Regatta ta’ Jum il-Vitorja pjanata li tibda fis-1.00pm u l-pjazzament tal-korsiji ser ikun kif ġej:

The Parliamentary Secretary for Youths, Sports and Voluntary Organisations meets with representations of sports organisations

 Hon Clifton Grima, Parliamentary Secretary for Youths, Sports and Voluntary Organisations today officially met for the first time representatives from all the sports organisations.

Dr. Grima declared that it is his pleasure to meet with the sports organisations and referred to the government’s commitment through SportMalta to improve the administration of sport organisations to correspond with the increasingly high standards of the sports sector in our country. He stated that for associations to become more professional it is necessary to strengthen the regulatory framework so that they achieve the appropriate level and as a result be awarded the accreditation deserved. In particular, he referred to the quality of the structure within which organisations operate and the services offered. The Parliamentary Secretary emphasised on the importance that SportMalta and the associations work hand in hand for the ultimate common goal of enriching sports in general. He referred to several projects launched by SportMalta with the unique aim of assisting associations.

During the meeting presentations about the requirements by SportMalta for registration purposes, the need to maintain the minimum standards in the organisations’ statutes as well as the procedures for submission of documents to SportMalta were made.

Financial grants were distributed during the ceremony to associations, clubs and individual athletes so that 316,000 euros have already been allocated since the beginning of this year so far.

Altogether 20 athletes and 27 associations benefited from financial aids to date during this second ceremony out of four that SportMalta holds every year.

Addresses were also given by the Chairman and the Chief Executive of SportMalta, Luciano Busuttil and Mark Cutajar, as well as from Dr. Karen Zammit Southerwood, Director for Regulatory Affairs at SportMalta and Ms. Ninette Sammut, official in charge of the accreditation unit within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in the Ministry of Education.

For another year, SportMalta is offering the programme Summer On The Move. Through this programme SportMalta encourages a more active and participative society, contributing to the competitive world of sports but more importantly creating a population that enjoys the health benefits associated with sports.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Youths, Sports and Voluntary Organisations, Hon Clifton Grima visited The National Pool Complex where he met with the coaches and participants. He stated, “It is evident that Summer On The Move Programme has been growing as the participation keeps increasing and also as hundreds of coaches choose to work here”. Dr. Grima emphasized on the importance of this programme that promotes a sports culture in our country. The Parliamentary Secretary stressed that “we need to instil the belief in our children that they need to be active to be healthy”.

Summer On the Move is the option for children to be physically active while training their favourite sport. This year the programme has reached the record number of 6000 participants.

These activities are offered at a number of high level, modern sports centres around Malta and Gozo. All venues are operated with the best sports equipment guaranteeing a safe environment for all SportMalta’s clients.

Summer On the Move also includes lessons for adults offered during the same time of the children’s activities, this initiative accommodates parents who bring their children to the programme consequently able to participate as a family and be active at the same time.

The programme offers various activities, from football, basketball and gymnastics to martial arts and karting. It also includes aquatic sports such as swimming, water polo and sailing.

Yoga, pilates and fitness at different intensities, as well as badminton, swimming and self-defence form part if the adult programme.  This year the parent and child programme has been extended and now includes gymnastics and fundamentals apart from the ongoing swimming classes.

Furthermore, SportMalta has endeavoured to engage a cohort of 300 qualified, dedicated and passionate coaches to lead this programme providing a high quality service.

The summer programme also continues to offer training to students within its academies.  In collaboration with the respective organizations, further intensive training is given in the disciplines of triathlon, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball and handball. SportMalta subsidizes the academies so that this training is accessible to all alike and nobody encounters obstacles in reaching his/her maximum potential in sports.

Through the programme Summer on the Move, SportMalta assists the Maltese people to meet the targets set by the World Health Organization that recommends a minimum of half an hour daily exercise. Summer On the Move forms part of the European Union campaign  #BeActive whereby member states join in a common effort to move people through physical activity.

This year’s programme is sponsored by Vileda.

On the 26^th June 2017, the European Union Programmes Agency with the support of Agenzija Zghazagh and Sport Malta held a day seminar entitled Democracy, youth and sport under the Transnational Cooperation Activities of the Erasmus+ Programme.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Sports and Voluntary Organisations, Dr Clifton Grima stated that such gatherings enable the sharing of good practices building on a productive cross-sectorial approach and that they also provide an invaluable opportunity for networking and fruitful contacts between countries. Dr Grima also stated that the main priority in the field of sports is that of utilizing sport as a platform for social inclusion through volunteering. Apart from this, he said that the Maltese Presidency also focused on the role of youth work in supporting young people’s development of essential life skills, facilitating their successful transition to adulthood, citizenship and working life, in order to draw up Council conclusions on this basis.

Mark Cutajar, CEO SportMalta, said that this event brought to an end six months of hard work where a new EU Work Plan for Sport 2017-2020 and a council conclusion on Sport as a platform for Social Inclusion through volunteering were adopted.  Cutajar also remarked the number of Fora organised during the months where more than 700 delegates from all over Europe attended.

Miriam Theuma, CEO Agenżija Żgħażagħ, also stressed that this seminar ends this rewarding presidency journey on something practical. An event which brings policy and practice together and engage sport coaches, youth workers and policy makers to work together to enable young people gain a voice, influence the community, and bring about change both at local and European level.

The international seminar welcomed 32 participants from 19 European countries and considered how, through their active participation and engagement in sports, young people can experience the pressures, responsibilities and rewards of working and interacting with each other in group activities that have particular disciplines and aims and how these can help inform and prepare them for democratic and civic engagement in the wider society. A key feature of the seminar was the sharing of good practices whilst enhancing cooperation between the youth and sport sector.

The seminar focused on issues including; leadership, teamwork, planning, goal setting, and group thinking.

Hon. Clifton Grima, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Sport and Voluntary Organisations visited the Malta Olympic Committee Headquarters and met with the committee officials.

The President of the Malta Olympic Committee, Dr. Julian Pace Bonello congratulated the Parliamentary Secretary for his position and expressed his wish for both parties to work together in a unified effort for the common success of sport in Malta.

On the other hand Hon. Grima praised the recent agreement signed between SportMalta and MOC and claimed that the four year financial assistance granted to MOC now puts it in a better position to support and train athletes in preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia and the Small Nations Games to be organised in Malta in 2023.

Whilst mentioning projects such as the upgrading of the National Pool, Hon Grima stated that he is looking forward with enthusiasm for future projects such as the re-surfacing of the Marsa track.

In its efforts to further develop the European dimension of Sport, the European Commission has launched the European Week of Sport, an initiative to promote participation in sport and physical activity among European citizens. Looking back to the success of last year, more than 15.000 local events were organised with around 10 million participants across Europe.

This year will mark the third edition of the European Week of Sport. This growing initiative led by the European Commission will take place from 23 to 30 September.

To reach out to even more Europeans with a positive encouragement to be active all year long, the European Commission saw that the role of the National Sport Ambassadors is crucial.  That is why a meeting was held today in Brussels between all European National Sport Ambassadors to establish as from this year a Network of #BeActive Ambassadors, which would include all ambassadors who wish to keep the #BeActive message alive (from the ones who started in 2015 to the ones who will join us as from 2017 edition).

Mr. Karl Izzo, National Team Waterpolo Coach, appointed by SportMalta in 2016 to be the National Sport Ambassador for the #BeActive Campaign, represented Malta in the first important meeting  held in Brussels today. The Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella was also present for this activity.

In order to formally recognise and thank all Ambassadors for their key role in promoting the value of sport throughout the #BeActive campaign, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Mr. Tibor Navracsics together with the European Commission took the opportunity today 21 June to meet and brief the National Sport Ambassadors with their role as a #BeActive Ambassador.

Sport Ambassador of the campaign and world champion for France 1998, Christian Karembeu said, “We can use sport as a tool for education but also as a tool for integration”.  This goes at par with the Maltese Presidency Priorities for Sport to act as a platform for social inclusion. A council conclusion in this regard was presented and approved by the council of ministers last May.

Advocacy for healthy active living is however needed more than ever to counter the challenges linked to citizens’ inactivity. In this context, the role of #BeActive Ambassadors is essential. To enhance the visibility and scope of the #BeActive message, we are establishing a Network of all #BeActive Ambassadors who would like to continue to be the champions of an active lifestyle for fellow citizens.

The Malta International Open Grand Prix 2017 was officially opened this morning by The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sports, Hon Clifton Grima in the presence of MSSF President Mr.Saviour Portelli at the  shooting ranges in Bidnija.

In his inauguration speech Dr. Grima welcomed the one hundred forty participants from eight Nations, including Malta, United Kingdom, Finland, Sweden, Brazil, France, Georgia and Italy.

This was the first official engagement for Hon Clifton Grima where he mentioned his secretariat commitment regarding The National Shooting Complex  project, hopefully to be ready in time for The ISSF World Cup Malta 2018.

These events includes The Skeet, Double Trap and Trap events that will take place next week.

The Skeet event will start on Monday with the first 75 clays and another 50 clays on Tuesday with the final stages in the afternoon.

On Wednesday morning The Double Trap event will commence with 150 clays and the final stages in the afternoon.

On Saturday morning The Trap event starts with 75 clays trap and another 50 clays on Sunday morning. The Trap final stages will be on Sunday afternoon, with the prensentation ceremony to follow.

This event is mainly sponsored by The Malta Tourism Authortity, The APS, RedOctober, Shooting Supplies, Sirup Ltd and SportMalta.

Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport signed a letter of intent to concede land adjacent to the Hibernians Pavilion to the Hibernians Basketball Club.

Chris Agius highlighted the importance of providing children with the opportunity to practise a favourite sport, and the value acquired when a person works within a team as this is fundamental in one’s life. He stressed that the synergy and the results achieved are more effective when one possesses such skills.

He referred to the next important step mentioning the implementation of the commercialisation law of sport facilities. As the expenses of the clubs are increasing consistently such law will allow them to be sustainable and hence reduce costs.

Charles Deguara, president of the Hibernians Basketball Club said that the need for a new pavilion is essential as the current one is now being used for all Futsal competitions resulting in the renting of four gyms to meet with the demand of the basketball teams and to provide the necessary location for the training. He explained the unique educational value acquired through sport as children learn how to respect both team members and adversaries, values that are essential in everyday life.

Once the Planning Authority grants the necessary authorization and Parliament approves the transfer of land by temporary emphyteusis to the Hibernians Basketball Club, infrastructural works can immediately commence. The project is estimated to cost around 1 million euros and will be totally financed through private investment.

SportMalta has passed on the management of the bocci pitch in Blue Grotto Avenue, Zurrieq to the Local Council so that an open gym can be developed for the community.

An agreement between both parties was signed in the presence of Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport. He stated that through this initiative a place that was not being utilised would now be developed to serve the local community by providing a sport facility. This initiative follows a number of other projects that are being developed in local communities. In fact, a renovated jogging track in Santa Lucija and the Fgura Adventure Park were recently inaugurated.

Ignatius Farrugia, Mayor of Zurrieq said that this is a positive investment for the community as he described the people of Zurrieq as being active and who enjoy engaging in daily physical activity. Moreover, he said that the local council has the necessary funds needed to develop the project that is being estimated to cost around 23,000 euros.

The Chairman of SportMalta, Luciano Busuttil expressed his satisfaction that local councils are realising the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and remarked that this is in line with SportMalta’s mission statement to move a nation.