Category: Events

Catwalk 2024: Unveiling the First International Day of the Arabian Leopard!

SportMalta News February 15, 2024 0

In a colorful display of unity and commitment, SportMalta recently participated in the ‘Catwalk for a Cause’ at their Sports Complex. Participants embarked on a 1k walk that went beyond just physical activity—it was a stride towards raising awareness for the endangered Arabian leopards, advocating for conservation, and enhancing collective well-being.

 

Catmosphere, the foundation behind Catwalk, used the stories of Big Cats and their conservation challenges to inspire collective action for our well-being. Catmosphere’s key mission included raising awareness about the Critically Endangered Arabian Leopard. In 2023 these efforts were rewarded as the United Nations proclaimed that, commencing from 2024 onwards, 10 February would henceforth be recognized as the International Day of the Arabian Leopard, the first such recognition not only for a sub-species but also for a mammal and a Big Cat.

 

The essence of Catwalk lies in its annual, global, up-to-7km outdoor walk. This unique initiative is designed to shed light on the plight of the 7 Big Cats and the issues that impact our collective well-being. In 2024, Catwalk was held on the 10th of February, officially recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of the Arabian Leopard. This momentous day served as a celebration of this magnificent yet critically endangered subspecies, urging a global call to action to address its plight and that of all Big Cats facing similar threats.

 

Catwalk stands out for its inclusivity and flexibility. Participants from around the world could register and undertake the walk wherever they were, alone or with friends and family. In some locations, organized walks provided an additional option. The event was open to everyone, regardless of their abilities.

 

Upon registration, participants were encouraged to choose a Big Cat to dedicate their Catwalk to, forming their “Cat Crew.” This personalized touch added a sense of connection to the cause and emphasized the global impact that individual actions could have.

 

In the spirit of fostering teamwork and making a positive impact, the ‘Catwalk for a Cause’ organized by SportMalta served as a beacon of hope for the conservation of the Arabian leopard and all Big Cats.

 

Participants in this meaningful endeavor not only contributed to the global Catwalk initiative but also received certificates of participation as a token of appreciation for their shared commitment. Group photos captured the collective effort, immortalizing the dedication of each individual involved.

A Green Sail: SportMalta and Vikings Sailing Club Join Forces for a Special Event

SportMalta News February 6, 2024 0

Co-funded by the European Union, this event aims to bring together sailing enthusiasts and environmental advocates for a day of celebration and education. Join us on April 21st for an exciting collaboration between SportMalta and Vikings Sailing Club, promising a day filled with thrilling activities and a commitment to environmental awareness. This unique event, supported by the European Union, seeks to not only celebrate the joy of sailing but also emphasize the importance of preserving our oceans and promoting sustainable practices. Stay tuned for more details, as we unite for a memorable day that combines the thrill of sailing with a shared dedication to the well-being of our planet.

This event focuses on promoting physical activity and environmental responsibility. The highlight of the day will be a cleanup initiative around Manuel Island and the Marsamxett Harbor. We’re thrilled to involve children from various schools, with a warm welcome extended to parents, creating a family-friendly atmosphere.

After the cleanup, we’re taking our commitment to sustainability a step further. Eco-friendly stationery, including notepads, pencil boxes, pens, and pencils crafted from recycled materials, will be distributed. It’s our way of reinforcing the importance of responsible living.

Adding to the event’s educational value, Sandra, a marine biologist, will conduct sessions highlighting the significance of our marine ecosystem. Her expertise will enlighten participants about the impact of human actions on marine life, emphasizing the need to protect our oceans.

The event goes above and beyond to ensure inclusivity. Sailing activities, facilitated by the Hansa adapted boat, are open to individuals with special needs. This initiative promotes inclusivity, ensuring everyone can enjoy the thrill of sailing.

Furthermore, in the upcoming days, educational sessions focused on nature appreciation and environmental care are scheduled to occur at six #onthemove centres. With the participation of over 6,000 students, these interactive lessons aim to encourage a profound understanding of the importance of preserving our environment. Our objective is to empower students to become conscientious stewards of our planet, illustrating the pivotal role they play in caring for nature.

Stay tuned for more…

Celebrating Sport in Malta – A Conference where participants were so vitalized that they felt like dancing

SportMalta News January 16, 2024 0

Would you like to attend a Conference where you might have thought that you would spend a long time sitting down but you end up dancing? Well, if you attended the Conference ‘Celebrating Sport in Malta 2024’, you would know that this is precisely what happened. The delegates attending the three different sessions of this Conference, felt so triggered with what they were exposed to, that they felt compelled to join in whatever this very positive Conference offered. 

On Friday morning, Honorable Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation opened the Conference in the presence of physical education teachers, sport coaches and students. He was followed by Mark Cutajar, SportMalta’s Chief Executive Officer who explained briefly who this Conference was meant to target. He indicated the very innovative themes and revealed the line-up of speakers of this special event. He promised the audience that this Conference was going to be an innovative one and that stakeholders will surely find it interesting. Matthew Pisani, Deputy Chairperson at SportMalta addressed the delegates, saying that he was looking forward to participating in this two-day Conference packed with educational material.

A panel discussion about the National Education Strategy 2024 – 2030 was held, with Ritianne Borg Saliba, Director General at the Ministry of Education, Dr Luciano Busuttil, Chief Executive Officer at AIMS and Renzo Kerr-Cumbo, Senior Lecturer at MCAST. Borg Saliba explained the process of the drafting of this document while Busuttil expressed his views as a parent of a young athlete vis-à-vis schooling and is looking forward for this strategy to be implemented. Kerr-Cumbo showed his concerns about the way the education system looks at sport and physical activity. 

The second session of the day was offered to parents of young athletes. The eagerness of these parents to learn could be felt in the air. They engaged in the discussion which revolved around the support offered to athletes. The panel of this discussion, saw Professor Andrew Azzopardi as a parent of a successful young athlete, Gianluca Azzopardi Spiteri as an athlete and Daniel Tabone, President of the Malta Handball Association, as a sport administrator. Here again the discussion revolved around the young athlete and one’s academic and professional life. It was evident that the support given to athletes needs to be made more evident for athletes to benefit from. Professor Azzopardi praised the positive mental set up local athletes at the Games of Small States  were geared upon, which left historical dividends.  Tabone encouraged parents to support their kids and not to put unnecessary pressure.

Pierre Cassar, the moderator of this Conference, accompanied us through to the second day of this event, which day, welcomed sport organizations. The panel discussion was about the European Week of Sport, which is an initiative of the European Union for which SportMalta is the National Coordinating Body. This initiative is a great platform for sport organizations to recruit new athletes in collaboration with SportMalta. This panel welcomed Rose Marie Mercieca, the national coordinator on behalf of SportMalta, Mark Marlow, the President of the Malta Employees Sport Association, Christabel D’Amato from Special Olympics and Marko Glumac from Know How Soccer, with these three organizations sharing their experience as the most active within this initiative. Rose Marie Mercieca encouraged the delegates to get in touch with SportMalta for them to benefit from this initiative. As Christabel D’Amato shared during her intervention, the Week could be an occasion for parents to gain knowledge about existing opportunities. Mark Marlow appealed to employers to grant further permissions to their employees to engage in sport as in the end this would pay back. Marko Glumac insisted that such events are very important for the sport to grow. 

The Conference, which is marking the ten years of SportMalta welcomed several international speakers. Barbara Brennan, an Irish mental well-being advocate, shared her personal experience with teachers, coaches, students and parents. Her speech was very engaging and kept everyone listening attentively for the whole time.

Distinctive international sporting bodies were also invited to share their good practices, namely UEFA and World Rugby. Olivier Gudet from UEFA and Jason Lewis from World Rugby, shared their experience and knowledge about event organization with innovative ideas, including the sustainability of events, each one of them doing this from the two different perspective of the organizations they represent. Greg Woods from World Rugby also shared the good practice of T1 Rugby, a programme with the aim of growing the game. This gave an outline of what is being done at a higher level which could easily be adapted to the local level. 

                               

James Thoem, a Gehl associate, presented inventive ways of how to transform urban spaces into places for physical activity and recreation. Teachers and coaches realized that such ideas could be easily adapted to schools and club venues while sport organizations agreed that a transformation within their premises could attract more people to their clubs. 

The Conference included online questionnaires for the audience to engage in and to interact between each other and with the speakers. It certainly saw a whole lot of innovative topics and ideas with which the listeners felt stimulated and engaged, up to the point that they felt like dancing with SportMalta’s own coach, Johanna Refalo. 

The Conference ended with the distribution of ₮1.6million to be utilized by 120 sport organizations for international participation and sport tourism. It certainly was a very positive Conference to be remembered, marking the ten years of SportMalta with a difference.

 

 

Celebrating Sport in Malta – Conference by SportMalta

SportMalta News January 10, 2024 0

SportMalta the Government entity for sport and physical activity is celebrating ten years from its transformation from the then Kunsill Malti għall-Isport.  For this memorable year and to celebrate the achievements of the entity throughout these years several activities will be organized for its associated sport organizations.

Celebrating Sport in Malta Conference 2024 will open these activities on the 12th and the 13th of January at Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Golden Sands.  The two-day conference will target different stakeholders and will have high level local and international speakers.

The first session will be held on Friday morning, and it will focus on the role of the physical education teacher, coaches, and prospective teachers and their relationship with student athletes.  The second session on Friday afternoon will have parents of student athletes as their target audience.  The challenges, the stress, time management and many other related topics will be discussed.  The third and final session on a Saturday morning will be directly related to Sport Organizations.  Topics related with creating open spaces in their premises, the European Week of Sport and the sustainability of events will be discussed.

The high-level panel of speakers include local and international personalities.  These include Barbara Brennan an Irish mental well-being advocate, Greg Woods and Jason Lewis from World Rugby, Olivier Gudet from UEFA and Canadian Architect James Thoem from top architectural firm Gehl Associate based in Denmark.  During the sessions all chaired by experienced sport journalist and Director of Marketing, Communications and Alumni at the University of Malta  Pierre Cassar, there will also be a number of panel discussions with the participation of Director General at the Ministry of Education Ritienne Borg Saliba, Luciano Busuttil CEO AIMS, senior lecturer at MCAST Renzo Kerr Cumbo, the Dean of Faculty of Social Well-Being Andrew Azzopardi, GSSE 2023 gold medalist Janet Richards,  the Malta Handball President Daniel Tabone, Rose Marie Mercieca national coordinator of the European Week of Sport and producer of this conference, Malta Employees Sport Association Mark Marlow and Marko Glumac who is the technical Director of Know How Soccer.

The conference will be opened by the Minister for Education and Sport Clifton Grima who during the last session together with SportMalta Chairperson Omar Farrugia will distribute over ₮3 million as assistance to sport organizations.

Join us at the Celebrating Sport in Malta Conference organized by SportMalta! ðŸ‡ēðŸ‡đ Exciting sessions for PE Teachers, Coaches, Students, Parents of Young Athletes, and Sports Organizations. 🗓ïļ Mark your calendars for January 12th-13th, 2024. Register now for insightful talks on Mental Health, Sports Events, and Placemaking. 🎙ïļ Don’t miss out!

Registration:

 

Pe Teachers/Coaches/Students 👉 https://rb.gy/i3tgwi

 

Parents of Young Athletes 👉 https://rb.gy/0760kv

 

Sports Organizations 👉https://rb.gy/aw5w4n

SportMalta Christmas International Waterpolo Tournament 2023

SportMalta News January 4, 2024 0

The SportMalta Christmas International Waterpolo Tournament 2023 showcased Malta’s resilience and determination despite facing tough opponents. On Day 1, Malta faced Italy, resulting in a challenging 6-23 defeat. However, considering the differing levels of the teams, the outcome was somewhat expected. It served as a valuable learning experience for the young Maltese players.

Day 2 saw Malta competing against France, resulting in a closer 11-15 loss. Despite the defeat, Malta demonstrated their ability to play commendable waterpolo. On Day 3, Malta faced the Netherlands, concluding their tournament with a 7-22 loss.

The overall tournament result reflects the challenges Malta encountered, with three consecutive losses. Nevertheless, the experience gained will undoubtedly contribute to the team’s growth.

Final results of the overall tournament:

– Italy won the tournament with three victorious games.

– France secured the second position.

– The Netherlands claimed the third spot, and Malta finished in fourth place.

As they regroup and learn from their performances, the Maltese waterpolo team looks ahead to the upcoming European Championships in Croatia, aiming for a stronger showing on the international stage.

St Joachim M’ Scala Primary School – SportMalta Schools Sports Day 2023 Event

SportMalta News December 6, 2023 0

On the 12th of October, our school enthusiastically joined the SportMalta Schools Sports Day, fostering a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition among students. The event saw the active participation of students from KG 2 to Year 6, engaging in a range of outdoor games tailored to their specific age groups. This not only provided an opportunity for physical exercise but also promoted teamwork and sportsmanship.

Continuing the momentum, on the 13th of October, students from KG 2 to Year 6 embarked on a refreshing 20-minute walk around the picturesque St. Thomas Bay promenade. The scenic surroundings not only encouraged physical activity but also offered a chance for students to appreciate the beauty of their local environment while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

Simultaneously, the school ensured that the youngest members, the KG1 students, were not left out of the sporting fun. Tailored sports activities were organized in the school yard, offering these young participants a chance to develop their motor skills and cultivate an early love for physical activity.

Overall, the SportMalta Schools Sports Day proved to be a holistic and inclusive event, catering to students of all age groups and fostering a culture of fitness, teamwork, and well-being within our school community.

St. Margaret College, Kalkara Primary School – SportMalta Schools Sports Day 2023 Event

SportMalta News December 5, 2023 0

13th October 2023 was an exciting day for Kalkara Primary School as we actively participated in the SportMalta Schools Sports Day. The event showcased various sports stations, each designed to engage and challenge students physically and mentally.

At Station 1, dedicated to Gymnastics, an obstacle course was organised that demanded a combination of agility and coordination. Students navigated through activities like rolling over in pencil roll or forward roll, jumping on the trampoline, and balancing over the half cylinder. This station not only tested their physical prowess but also introduced elements of fun and creativity. Meanwhile, Station 2 featured bean bag races where students were equipped with tennis rackets and bean bags. They had to skillfully place the bean bag on the racket and race to the marker, turning and returning with precision.

Moving on to Station 3, the Stilts races, students were provided with a pair of stilts. The challenge was to maintain balance while advancing towards the rings. Each student had to pick up one ring and carefully make their way back to the starting line. Station 4 incorporated ladders, where students were divided into two groups and assigned various tasks such as hopping on one foot, jumping with both feet in, moving sideways, and taking two steps forward followed by one step back.

Station 5 introduced a spirited game of Hot Potato. The students were divided into two teams, each armed with shuttlecocks (bombs). The objective was to throw the shuttles over the badminton net, and the team with the least number of shuttles in their area emerged as the victorious one.

Shifting to Station 6, Shooting, a goal post and a softball were central to the activity. Students aimed to shoot and score a point inside the goal post. Some classes engaged in shooting exercises, while others enjoyed a small football game. Meanwhile, Station 7 featured Balancing, where students were provided with balance balls. In a friendly yet competitive atmosphere, they raced against opponents while maintaining balance on the balls.

The SportMalta Schools Sports Day not only fostered physical fitness but also encouraged teamwork, creativity, and sportsmanship among the students. It was a day filled with enthusiasm and camaraderie, leaving lasting memories for all participants.

 

Birkirkara Primary School – SportMalta Schools Sports Day 2023 Event

SportMalta News December 5, 2023 0

On Friday, 13th October, Birkirkara Primary School actively participated in the SportMalta Schools Sports Day by organizing invigorating Zumba Sessions as part of the European School Sport Day. This initiative aimed to promote physical activity among both students and educators alike. The Zumba Sessions not only provided an enjoyable and engaging way to burn calories but also served as an effective means to reduce stress, enhance coordination, and, above all, foster a sense of happiness and energy among the participants.

The lively atmosphere and vibrant music during the sessions created a dynamic and inclusive environment, encouraging everyone to embrace the joy of movement. It was heartening to witness the enthusiastic participation of students and educators alike, reinforcing the school’s commitment to overall well-being and a healthy, active lifestyle.

These Zumba Sessions not only contributed to the success of the SportMalta Schools Sports Day but also left a lasting impact on the school community, highlighting the importance of physical activity as an essential component of a balanced and fulfilling education. As a school, we are proud to have played an active role in promoting fitness, well-being, and a positive mindset among our students and educators through this exhilarating event.”

Valletta Primary School – SportMalta Schools Sports Day 2023 Event

SportMalta News December 5, 2023 0

Valletta Primary school joined the SportMalta Schools Sports Day, a vibrant event that brought together schools from various regions. The collaborative spirit among students, teachers, and staff was palpable as we engaged in a wide array of sports activities, fostering not only physical fitness but also a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

The dedicated teacher, who led the coordination of the circuit activities during this event. Once again took charge, ensuring the seamless organization of events for the SportMalta Schools Sports Day. These carefully crafted activities were thoughtfully designed to accommodate the diverse needs and abilities of our students, promoting inclusivity and active participation for all.

The School Sports Day provided an invaluable opportunity for our students to showcase their athletic talents, build sportsmanship, and forge lasting memories. As a school community, we take pride in our commitment to promoting a healthy and active lifestyle among our students, and events like these contribute significantly to the holistic development of our school community.

St. Margaret College Senglea – SportMalta Schools Sports Day 2023 Event

SportMalta News December 5, 2023 0

Certainly! It’s great that St. Margaret College Senglea, participated in the SportMalta Schools Sports Day. The event brought together students from kindergarten to year 6, showcasing the school’s commitment to fostering physical activity and sportsmanship among students of all age groups. The participation in such events not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle but also provides students with valuable opportunities for teamwork, skill development, and friendly competition. It’s a wonderful initiative that contributes to the overall well-being and holistic development of the school community.

The committed educators, who spearheaded the orchestration of the circuit activities throughout the event, once more assumed responsibility for guaranteeing the flawless arrangement of events for the SportMalta Schools Sports Day. The meticulously planned activities were specifically tailored to cater to the varied needs and capabilities of our students, fostering an environment of inclusiveness and encouraging active participation for all.