More than a quarter of a million euros distributed this year to sport associations and athletes

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.