Figures relating to sport activity made public by Education Minister Louis Galea last Saturday are rather worrying.

Speaking during the presentation of the five finalists in each of the five categories of the National Sportsmen of the Year Awards, organised by the Sportswriters Association, Dr Galea said that nearly 90 per cent of students do not take part in a sport activity after school hours.

He went on to say that sport facilities in schools were not being utilised other than by students during their schooling time. Apart from this, one fourth of the students in both primary and secondary schools are physically inactive, and this when the World Health Organisation recommends an hour of physical activity every day.

No wonder then that Malta has surpassed the United States in terms of obesity – 13.5 of boys and 17 per cent of girls are considered to be obese.

One other point Dr Galea made was that the number of 15-year-olds who participate in sport is much lower when compared to the number of 10-year-olds who practise sport.

There must be several reasons for this lack of participation in sport, foremost among which is the fact that unfortunately many parents think that this is a waste of time or because they insist too much on studying.

Of course, studying is important because what one learns as a child and as a youth is the key to the future. But physical activity is also a vital component in a person’s upbringing, and students need to find the time for it.

Participation in sport is healthy, not only physically but also mentally. It is a way to relax after school and homework. It is a way of socialising, particular if one is participating in a team sport. It is another way of making sacrifices, and making sacrifices helps one to grow up.

It is also a way to learn how to win and how to lose. Accepting a defeat with grace and without protests is as important as respecting one’s opponents after a victory. This will come in handy in other aspects of life.

Unfortunately, there are many parents who keep their children away from sport. Some even send notes to schools informing them that their child should not be allowed to take part in physical education lessons, fearing the cold or that their child might fall ill.

Few of such cases would be justified; in their majority these notes are only excuses. When parents act in this way, they are not realising that they are keeping their child away from the benefits of sport, a decision they might regret later.

Other factors that keep children away from sport these days are the television, the computer, in particular the internet and video games. In his address, Dr Galea said the time children spend on such activities should be reduced.

Naturally, children have a lot to learn from TV and the internet, but we do agree that they should spend less time watching cartoons or surfing the net and instead use this time for sport.

Dr Galea listed a number of targets that must be aimed for. Among them is that by 2010, “we must ensure that 75 per cent of children aged between five and 16 are doing two hours of physical activity every week.

This should increase to three hours and to 100 per cent by 2015”. By 2010, sport facilities in schools must be utilised after school hours, both by the schoolchildren themselves and also by adults.

These are bold targets but are not impossible to achieve. With good planning, it can be done. As Dr Galea said, Malta is a sport loving nation, but most of us – and here we include adults as well – love watching sport, not taking part in it.

People should continue to follow a discipline they enjoy but they should also start practising it.