For the third consecutive year SportMalta,will be organizing an ‘Open Day’ at the National Pool Sports Complex on Monday 1^st May 2017.

The public is invited to take part in a variety of sports activities mainly swimming sessions, Salsa and Capoeira sessions for all ages, yoga, aqua-fitness for adults, Squash, Zumba, Piloxing, swimming races, free diving and canoe polo as well as an under 11 waterpolo tournament. The SportMalta Academy of synchronized swimming will be exhibiting their skills in a show that will start at 11:30. The activities will run from 9:00 to 13:00 ending with a waterpolo match.

SportMalta invites the public to register for this event on its facebook page and web-site and encourages it to attend this special event which is sure to be very entertaining and fun for people of all ages.

The main objective of this event is to focus the public’s attention on the importance of physical activity for their health and wellbeing and demonstrate how easy it is for them to be active despite their busy everyday lives.  In fact the World Health Organization recommends 20 minutes daily of light to moderate exercise for a healthy lifestyle. SportMalta’s mission is “moving a nation through the promotion and development of sport for a healthy, inclusive and successful Malta” and thus such initiatives give this opportunity to reach these goals.

More over swimming is considered as one of the fundamental sport disciplines and hence very beneficial for one’s health. Therefore this is going to be a unique opportunity for the general public to practise this sport as participation in all these activities is free.

Application for Summer On The Move 2017 programme will also be possible on the day.    A wide variety of sports disciplines is being offered in a number of centres around Malta. Again SportMalta has expanded its programme and has now introduced Salsa Dancing, Yoga for children, Parent and Child sessions in gymnastics and Fundamentals and self-defence for senior citizens.Summer On the Move is open to participants from the tender age of 1 to mature age.

This event is part of The  NowWeMove campaign, with the aim of promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

SportMalta participated in No Elevators Day, yesterday on Wednesday 26^th April 2017, a European initiative which is part of NowWeMOVE campaign initiated by International Sports and Culture Association (ISCA).

Its main objective is to focus the public’s attention on the importance of physical activity for their health and wellbeing and demonstrate how easy it is for them to be active despite their busy everyday lives.  In fact the World Health Organization recommends 20 minutes daily of light to moderate exercise for a healthy lifestyle. SportMalta’s mission is “moving a nation through the promotion and development of sport for a healthy, inclusive and successful Malta” and thus such initiatives give this opportunity to reach these goals.

For No Elevators Day, SportMalta invited people, various organizations, institutions and companies to encourage their employees or colleagues to take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators.

The main event took place at the Embassy Shopping Complex in Valletta. The management collaborated with SportMalta to shut down the  elevators and lifts on the day however participation was voluntary and some elevators and escalators stayed open for people with disabilities and medical conditions, and to those who simply did not want to take part in the event.

SportMalta hopes that with public activities like No Elevators Day it will make more people reconsider how they can include physical activity in their daily routines. Simple actions such as discouraging them from using the elevator offer them opportunities they can easily find in environments where they spend the most time, such as the workplace.

SportMalta staff in the last few weeks have been working on maintenance on the machines at the Ta’ Qali outdoor gym.

Today they installed back 5 machines which have been repaired by National Pool Plantroom staff and Kirkop Sports Complex maintenance personnel. Further to this the rubber floor was repaired and now it’s safe for use.

#OnTheMove (Summer Programme) is the continuation programme from #OnTheMove (Skolasport). It consists of one module running from July to September.

The Foundation module is open to children aged between 4 and 6 years old whilst the Participation module is open to children aged between 7 and 10 years and the Performance module is open to children aged between 9 years and 16 years. Activities for these modules are mainly held on a Saturday mornings and adults are also invited to support their children and join in the fun by taking part in the adult activity class held concurrently with the children’s activity. Read more

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SportMalta will be holding the 3rd Edition of the 1st of May Open Day. The events will start at 09:30hrs and end by 13:30hrs approximately. This event is part of the NowWeMove Campaign for which SportMalta is committed to organize a National Event for the general public.

Book now: CLICK HERE

SportMalta will be holding the 3rd Edition of the 1st of May Open Day. The events will start at 09:30hrs and end by 13:30hrs approximately. This event is part of the NowWeMove Campaign for which SportMalta is committed to organize a National Event for the general public.

The following is the full programme for the day:

Join the event on Facebook: CLICK HERE

Why we need movement?

59% of the European population is reported to never or rarely exercise or play sport (Eurobarometer 2014). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a lack of physical activity is even more dangerous to our health than smoking and we know now that Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.

600,000 people in Europe die each year due to insufficient physical activity. The estimated economic damage of the lack or absence of physical activity is estimated at € 300 a year for each person. This equates to a global loss of € 152 billion annually.

What can we do?

As sedentary lifestyle continues to emerge as one of the most dangerous habits of modern society, it has become clear that the way we spend our days needs a change – a new active way of living. To support and promote this change, we initiate a new European initiative – No Elevators Day.

No Elevators Day is a pan-European initiative part of NowWeMOVEcampaign initiated by International Sports and Culture Association (ISCA) and supporting the European Week of Sport #BeActive.

No Elevators Day could be easily implemented – in office buildings, shopping centre, apartment blocks, car parks, universities, and other public and private buildings. The general idea of the No Elevators Day is to promote the usage of stairs instead of elevators on an everyday basis.

When No Elevators Day will happen?

No Elevators Day will happen on 26.04.2017 all over Europe.

A special event will be organised at Embassy Shopping Complex in Valletta.

You can join the initiative by sealing the elevators in your building on that day to promote the usage of stairs instead of elevators and inform people about the benefits of movement. Learn more on HOW TO.

Few facts about climbing the stairs:

• Walking up the stairs burns two to three times calories than walking.
• It requires about 8-11kcal of energy per minute, which is comparatively higher than other moderate intensity physical activities.
• A 70 kg person can burn 30 calories per day if they climb two flights of stairs (approx. 12 steps each) three times.
• Walking up six flights of stairs three times per day will result in 90 calories burned.
• The number of calories you burn depends on your body weight, as heavier people burn more calories than lighter ones.
• Climbing more than 55 flights of stairs per week may significantly reduce inactivity-related health risks. It can help to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, as well as helping to maintain a healthy body weight.
• Stair climbing is also associated with “good cholesterol” levels, better bone density of post-menopausal women, increased leg power, and may even lead to reduced risk of injury from falls among the elderly.
• Even minimal activity, such as going up two flights of stairs every day, can lead to weight loss of up to 2.7kg over a one-year period.
• Stair climbing does not require any special equipment or preparation, and it is also a “green” activity as it does not use any externally produced energy.
• In addition, stair climbing can be accumulated over the course of the day, making it a significant contribution to the recommended minimum of 20 minutes of daily physical activity.
• And last, but not least, using the stairs could even save time. The stairs are the quickest way to your destination in buildings with seven floors or less, especially during peak times.

All activities under No Elevators Day title will be voluntary and will take into consideration the accessibility requirements for people with disabilities and medical conditions and will provide access to them and to those not willing to participate.

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The CEO, Chairman, Board of Directors and all staff at SportMalta, wishes a speedy recovery to Hon. Chris Agius, after this morning unfortunate accident.

SportMalta in collaboration with Bank of Valletta has distributed funds of the Youth Development Scheme to 20 athletes. The scheme which was aimed at assisting athletes who have not yet attained 18 years of age, was launched last November. The assistance provided through this scheme is intended to financially assist these athletes in participating in international competitions beyond our shores.

The scheme, equally funded by SportMalta and Bank of Valletta, will assist 20 athletes who were selected by a board of experts following an evaluation of the applications received by the athletes following a request for information made to the national sports organization of the respective sporting discipline. The evaluation was based on specific criteria that took into consideration the level of the competition that the athletes will be participating in and the development that will result from their participation on both a personal and national level.

SportMalta has strengthened this scheme to enhance its support to the young athletes and to invest in them as potential representatives of our country. Such investment in our young athletes is necessary for the improvement of Malta’s participation in international competitions. Such financial burden would be very hard to sustain by the young athletes themselves, their parents and the respective national sports organisation. . Moreover it is vital that these young athletes participate in such competitions as they provide them with the necessary experience to ameliorate their professional career in general and their performance in international events.The ultimate aim is for Malta to produce as many suitable athletes as possible for the Small Nations Games of 2023 and other international competitions in the years to come.

Apart from this SportMalta offers a number of schemes to assist individual athletes, clubs and associations to advance in their professional development and to reach international levels. Schemes directly aimed towards athletes are the Flexi Training Scheme and the Sport Leave Scheme both conceived to support the athlete in reaching a balance between work and training hours. The International Participation Scheme helps athletes whilst participating abroad whereas there are other schemes such as the Elite Athletes’ Development and Support Scheme and a scheme specifically for Gozitans.

The funds were distributed during a press conference held at the BOV Centre in Santa Venera ans was addressed by Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport,  Luciano Busuttil, Chairman of SportMalta and Charles Azzopardi, Head PR and Marketing of Bank of Valletta.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport, Chris Agius said “investing in our youths is a priority for this government as we believe that in the future we will reap the benefits in the sport sector”. He maintained that structured funds would continue assisting youths in their participation in international competitions. He sustained that this scheme is complimentary to the recent financial agreement reached with the Malta Olympic Committee as both are intended to give priority to our youths. He commended this initiative by BOV and encouraged other entities to follow lead and join forces with the government to improve the sports industry.

Luciano Busuttil, Chairman of SportMalta stated that following considerable investment in the sport facilities it is now the time to invest in people. He specified that this is only one initiative that SportMalta is applying in the youth sector.

The Chairman praised the parents for the continuous support they offer to their children and invited them to encourage other parents to do the same. He sustained that the young athletes should inspire other children and act as role models. “Only through such a system would we be able to create a strong and inclusive society”, concluded Busuttil.

“This is the first time that a sport scheme is not totally financed by SportMalta or in collaboration with another government department or entity”, said Dr. Karen Zammit Southernwood. She explained the procedures that will be applied in order to implement the scheme, in collaboration with both the youths and the associations so as to guarantee good governance. Dr. Zammit Southernwood announced that there will be upcoming meetings for the athletes so that they can understand better the benefits of this scheme.

‘It is with great pleasure that we present the first beneficiaries of the Youth Development Scheme, a collaboration between SportMalta and Bank of Valletta’ said Charles Azzopardi, Head PR and Marketing at Bank of Valletta. ‘Bank of Valletta has established itself as the major supporter of sporting initiatives in Malta but we have always felt that we could do more to support the development of the future sporting generation’

‘This collaboration with SportMalta provides us with the perfect avenue to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle while empowering success among our youth’ concluded Mr Azzopardi.

The beneficiaries of the scheme are:

Photos from the event can be viewed here