Sport will achieve new heights if it is used as an educational tool at par with books, classes and teachers in helping education become one of the pillars of the economy.

This was the main message put forward by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi when earlier this month he closed a national conference on sport, aimed at discussing a medium term plan on reshaping sport for the next three years.

Sport can be either taken up at a competitive level or it can be for leisure and fitness. Few make it to the competitive level, and they deserve all the support they can get in trying to reach their goals. Yes, we know our limitations, and we know that it is extremely difficult for Malta to achieve success at international level.

We have had our own big days in sport, but of course these have been few and far between. We have all celebrated the feats that were achieved by our athletes, and we look forward to the next ones. But there is only so much that can be attained.

Nevertheless, sport should be seen in the wider context, and especially in matters that are related to our health. Many of us unfortunately live sedentary lives – sitting at a desk in front of a computer for most of the day and sitting down in front of a TV set in the evening – finding little time, and no will at all, to do physical exercise. The most some people do is go for a walk.

It is therefore no wonder that many suffer from conditions that can be attributed to lack of exercise. Most notably, we are among the fattest people in Europe, and what is worse is that our children fall in this category too. As things stand now, it can only get worse unless matters are rectified.

And the first thing that should be taken into consideration to improve our physical fitness is taking up a sport. Going for a walk helps a lot, but practicing a sport will go a longer way towards a healthier lifestyle.

Over the past years the government has invested heavily in new sport facilities. There was heavy investment in the run-up towards Malta’s hosting of the 1993 and 2003 Small Nations Games, and the investment has not stopped.

In the building of new schools, the government is taking great care in providing sport facilities to be enjoyed by the children. What is important is that such facilities do not stop being utilised once school hours are over. They should be made available in the evenings and even during the holidays for the public at large.

This would surely encourage more people to take up a sport. Some might not be in a position to pay membership for gym classes, while others are perhaps not interested in this type of exercise. So if school facilities – football grounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, athletics tracks – are open for the public to use when the schools are closed then there is a better chance that more people do physical exercise.

One other aspect of sport, which is more closely linked to the economy, is sports-related tourism. We all remember the fuss that was made in the Italian media last January when AC Milan were in Malta, and we expect similar treatment when Juventus FC come over next week. The presence of such top clubs in Malta gives “free” publicity to the island, and we are sure that it does help promote the island as a tourist destination.

To go back to the prime minister’s speech, it must be pointed out that although sport is getting more space in our schools along with other non-academic subjects such as drama, art, dance and music, there is still room for improvement.

Sport is not yet “at par with books, classes and teachers”. It should be.