A sports journalism course believed to be the first ever of its kind in Malta, is being held next week between Monday 11 and Saturday 16 April at the Luzzu Hall of the Malta Hilton.
It is being organised by the Sportswriters Association and the Tumas Fenech Foundation and with the collaboration of the Malta Institute of Journalists.
Addressing a news conference, President Emeritus Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici said the Foundation had felt the need to organise such a course after having successfully organised others and seminars as well with different themes.
He said sports was a theme which would interest all as it had no political ties. He added that through such a course, they intended producing better journalists who would be able to transmit news and write stories in a responsible manner.
The president of the Sportswriters Association, Charles Camenzuli said the course formed part of the activities being held by the association on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.
He thanked the Foundation and the Malta Institute of Journalists for their collaboration and appealed to those who would like to make a career out of sports to attend.
Not only sports writers are eligible to attend. The MOC has been asked to invite the PROs of the associations to send their representatives. Even students at the University attending the course for a diploma in Sports and Physical Education are being urged to attend. He said that an 85 per cent attendance by such students would entitle them to a credit.
Mario Schiavone, director of the course, said two lectures will be held daily between 6pm and 8pm with a coffee break in between.
Among the lecturers one finds Dr Henry Frendo, Dr Stefan Frendo, Charles Flores, Charles Camenzuli, Martin Debattista, Pierre Cassar, Malcolm Naudi and Dr Kyrill Micallef Stafrace.
Special speaker will be the Hungarian physician and surgeon, Dr Jeno Kamuti, who is the chairman of the World Body of Fair Play. He will be giving two lectures, on Friday and Saturday. He was a world team foil (fencing) world champion in 1957, winner of the world cup in 1973 and university world champion in 1959, 1961, 1963 and 1965.
Schiavone also said that every day’s session will be chaired by various personalities, among whom were Dr George Abela, Lewis Portelli, Michael Aquilina, Charles Mizzi and George Mallia.
There will also be some time for debate, including questions and answers.
Yesterday’s news conference was also attended by Anthony Debono, representing the Tumas Group, which runs the Malta Hilton.