The Games of the Small States of Europe, the biennial multisport event, will be returning
to Malta in 2023, two decades after it was last hosted on our island.
This was officially announced by The Minister for Education and Sport, the Maltese
Olympic Committee and SportMalta earlier on today at Cottonera Sport Complex.
The launch took place in a hybrid format and welcomed several Maltese medallists from
the 1993 and 2003 editions. Joining the event virtually were GSSE Member States’
Presidents and Chefs de Mission.

The GSSE feature a core of six individual sports and two team sports. Each organising
committee may add a maximum of two other Olympic sports or one Olympic Sport and
one non-Olympic Sport.

Maltese Olympic Committee President and Games Chairperson Mr Julian Pace Bonello
explained that preparations for this sporting bonanza are well underway. “The Maltese
Olympic Committee has been working even more closely with involved Federations,
ensuring the require support is given and that preparations proceed as smoothly as
possible. We hope that these Games will make the country proud, in both the way they
will be organized as well as the results achieved and will also serve as a catalyst to
inspire up and coming athletes to keep working hard for their dreams”
In 2023, Malta will be presenting a sports programme which includes Athletics,
Basketball, Judo, Rugby 7’s, Sailing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table tennis,
Tennis.

“The Maltese Olympic Committee, SportMalta and the Ministry of Education and Sport
are working in perfect synergy towards this event. A local organising committee was
chosen and besides sport experts, there are experts in various fields that will ensure that
the Games will be a success. In the months to come we will engage with the public so
that the Games will not only will be for athletes and officials taking part but for the society
at large” remarked, Mark Cutajar, GSSE Organising Committee Chairperson.

The Maltese Olympic Committee also announced that it will shortly be launching a
Games’ Mascot and Logo Design competition. The competition calls for the design of a
logo and mascot that will be used as part of the Games of the Small States of Europe
branding.

Closing the event was the Minister for Education and Sport, Dr Clifton Grima who said
that “Government is really proud to support the Maltese Olympic Committee in these
Games. We invested both in infrastructure to increase the number of high-level venues,
but for the first time we also invested in human resources. €5m million was passed to
SportMalta to facilitate the training of athletes, engaging professional coaches and their
sport entourage” Grima concluded by saying that he looks forward to enter in
discussions with his counterparts in the other eight countries for sport in small states to
flourish further.

The Games of the Small States of Europe will take place between the 28th May and June 3rd 2023.

The building known as the 1903 Building in Marsa was completely restored with an investment of half a
million euro by Sport Malta. “Marsa will be a centre of the highest level for all those who not only practice
the sport, but for those who follow the sport as spectators,” says Clifton Grima, the minister for education
and sport. The project involved the restoration of all the structures of the historic building, which was built
by the British in 1903 and had the function of a clubhouse for British service officers.

The Marsa Sports Complex and its surroundings are being transformed into a world-class sports hub,
said Minister Grima. The minister also said that the work of the ministry in the field of sports goes beyond
the improvement of the direct sports facilities. The building has been extensively restored to preserve
part of our history, and also to use it for the benefit of sport. Mark Cutajar, Chief Executive Officer of
SportMalta, gave details of the project, saying that the ongoing work on four areas will make Marsa a top
quality and international sports hub.

As the internal finishing of the Marsa Sports Complex is completed, it will be used for the sports
community. Work in progress includes the construction of a new gym, which will include a squash centre,
weightlifting centre, fitness gym and netball courts, as well as extensive work on the track which will be of
international state.

Sports Minister Clifton Grima thanked SportMalta for its work, dedication and commitment in this sector.
Luciano Busuttil said that it is Sportmalta’s mission to raise the level of sport, not only through the
opportunities that are being given to athletes, but with the improvement of sports infrastructure.

Between the 13th and 18th of May, almost a thousand athletes from twenty-five different countries will
come to our country to take part in the Special Olympics Invitational Games. The President of Special
Olympics Malta, the wife of the Prime Minister Dr Lydia Abela said how the preparations for these
International Games are going well and now everything is in the final stage.

SportMalta CEO, Mark Cutajar, explained how this is an opportunity to grow as a society to prepare for
an event that will go down in the history of Malta. Minister Clifton Grima spoke about the importance of
the connection between this sporting event and education. Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli spoke about
the inclusivity and unity between associations and individuals for such an event to be a success.

In a few words from the Special Olympics President of Europe, David Evangelista, explained how
impressed and pleased he was with the work being done by a number of volunteers who have joined
Special Olympics to ensure that these games be celebrations of inclusivity here in Malta.

During these Games there will be six different sports disciplines, which will take place in the facilities of
SportMalta in Marsa and Tal-Qroqq. These are athletics, bowling, table-tennis, swimming, bocce and
football.

On Boxing Day, the L-Istrina yearly event took place at the Kirkop Sport Complex. It’s an annual event where everyone pitches in to make sure that individuals whose livelihoods could benefit from financial support get the help they need. The 26th edition of Istrina, has concluded, with a total of €5,845,000 raised for people in need. During this event CEO of SportMalta, Mark Cutajar presented the incredible sum that was gathered during the Fun Run held around various localities in Malta and Gozo in November.

During the Fun Run 2021, BeActive – SportMalta contributed a record amount of €277,000 to L-Istrina. Another goal achieved in an outstanding year. Istrina 2022 will give €5,845,000 to persons and families who need all of our aid, which is just another example of the Maltese and Gozitan people’s compassion. SportMalta would like to express its gratitude to everyone who helped make this event a success.

On behalf of Chairman Luciano Busuttil , Board of Directors , CEO Mark Cutajar and all employees at SportMalta, we congratulate Hon Clifton Grima for his appointment as Minister for Education and Sport

On behalf of SportMalta’s Chairman, Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, the Management and all SportMalta’s employees, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

SportMalta’s mission is to move a nation through the promotion and development of sport for a healthy
inclusive and successful Malta. This year the entity won the prestigious of Premju Nazzjonali 2021-
Haddiema tas-sena, Premju ghall-aktar Organizzazjoni Inklussiva. This award comes with great
appreciation by everyone under the cap of SportMalta and as an entity it promises to enhance further the
work environment for all those that at some point throughout their life touch with SportMalta.

The main goal of SportMalta is to utilise sport and physical activity as a tool for social inclusion to live a
healthy lifestyle, physically, mentally, socially and environmentally. No matter what background individual
comes from, without any distinction, SportMalta strives for a stronger nation.

Recently, SportMalta has embarked on a unique project by starting to organize sport and physical
activities for all staff, during working hours, with the aim of moving workers who are usually behind a
desk. These activities served two main purposes, one being that through exercise, employees feel
stronger and the other is that through these activities the workers would feel closer to each other and
happier at the workplace and thus be more productive despite the time devoted to these activities.

SportMalta took care that the physical activities organized were inclusive in such a way that both those
who are accustomed and those who are new, feel stimulated and included by what was being offered.
During these sports activities, SportMalta workers, who are of different skills, both physical and mental,
felt included during these activities as well as in the workplace. SportMalta has even been recognized by
the European Commission for its work with its staff.

As stated by Mark Cutajar, CEO SportMalta, apart from all this, SportMalta has always been at the
forefront for launching inclusion programs in terms of sports for all. SportMalta is constantly creating
inclusion initiatives, both in those programs that take place year after year, as well as new projects that
reach people at risk of marginalization through sport and physical activity.

This year the return of the President’s FunRun took place with a difference as even during a pandemic a way to help out charity was created. Smaller walks were staged in 58 different locations in Malta and Gozo, hosting over 7000 individuals who joined in to help charity.

At 10am all localities gathered their participants dressed in this year’s commemorative T-shirt started off this year’s FunRun in aid of the Community Chest Fund with having President George Abela, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech. Participants donated 10 euro each which will amount the to the total collected and announced during the Istrina on Boxing Day.

A meeting between the Maltese and Italian government and sporting institutions took place yesterday at the offices of the Sports and Health School of Sport .

Mark Cutajar (CEO of SportMalta), Roberto Magro (Director of the Maltese School of Sport) and Karl Izzo (Director Technician of the Maltese National Water Polo).

The fruitful meeting between the two delegations dealt with many issues, including the possibility of future collaborations aimed at developing synergies between the two countries in the sports and training fields.

At the end of the meeting, the Maltese delegation was able to closely appreciate the Giulio Onesti Olympic Preparation Center, seat of the School of Sport and the beating heart of Italian sport.

SportMalta’s main goal is to inspire the Maltese population and change the country via sports and innovative, enjoyable, and meaningful events. The European Week of Sport is a European Commission initiative to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity in one’s life. During the European Week of Sport, 27 EU member states and many other nations around Europe and the Western Balkans launch a big campaign to encourage citizens to become more active.

SportMalta, has invited all Primary and Secondary Schools for their participation in the ‘European Week of Sport 2021’ by organizing a Sports Day to get the students to #BeActive during school hours. SportMalta is the National Coordinating Body for the European week of sport co-funded by the European Commission through Erasmus+ program. 

The balance between education and physical activity has always been a struggle. Initiatives like the European Week of Sports Day help to define a better balance and create an environment where both physical activity can be done in the education environment.

A record participation of 60 schools from all around Malta and Gozo accepted this invitation on Friday 29th October. SportMalta, the government entity for sport and the coordinating body of the European Week of Sport organized this sporting day event for all students of every age to enjoy a few hours of various physical activities and socializing through sport and exercise.

The innovation for this year’s event was the launch of videos created for students to get active during their school day by following simple exercises and activities shown on the videos. Two different videos have been created to target Primary and Secondary students, and tailor made to target all level of students found in our classrooms. These clips are available for all students including Public, Private and Church schools to reach every individual and promote physical activity and wellbeing.

The European Week of Sport has been pushing Europeans to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle for the past six years, helping to combat the inactivity issue. Increasing regular physical exercise, regardless of who we are or what we do, can have a significant influence on our long-term health. 

The main factor of all activities presented is to promote the best quality of physical activity and get the children moving around even during long school sedentary days. SportMalta promotes physical activities for all ages, specific activities like this help to target our future generations.