JOHN ZAMMIT is one of those hard-working elements in sport, particularly in the field of cycling. During his competitive career, he did not just
represent Malta in some important events abroad, but also had a three-year spell with a Sicilian club in Catania. He is the president of the local cycling federation and he considers his election to that post three years ago as the pinnacle of his career. However, he is also very much attached and
dedicated to ‘his own’ BMX Association, of which he is not just the president, but also the founder. Thanks to his initiative, Zammit has managed
to attract thousands of youngsters to the sport over the years. In this interview he tells his story to Henry Brincat
Date of birth: 5 January, 1948, in Sliema
Education: Attended Sliema Primary School.
Work career: He started in the business sector, working with his late father, Joseph, in a shop in Sliema near Stella Maris church. He later became a member of the Auxiliary Workers Scheme, but then worked for the government in the Sports Section at The Marsa. A few years ago, he joined the Maltese Council for Sport within the Ministry of Education.
Sporting career: Since he was a young boy, he was always attracted to cycling and today it is still his favourite – or rather, his only – sport. He was given a bicycle by the owner of a garage in Sliema, Valent Cardona, and from that day he never looked back. He raced for Qormi CC, Floriana CC and the national team, and even had a spell with a club in Sicily, GS Lampolet.
Administrative career: After retiring from competitive cycling, he started coaching and led the Malta national team at the Andorra Small Nations Games in 1991. He is the founder of the BMX Association, of which he is the president, he is the current president of the Malta Cycling Federation and for many years he has been an active member of Libertas Cycling Club, which also caters for many other categories of sport. He is also the president of that club’s BMX section.
Awards: John has never won an award during his career, but he was nominated twice to take part in the Official of the Year Contest by the Cycling Federation. During his competitive career, however, he won many honours, including several cups for the Sicilian team during his three year spell with them.
John is married to RoseMary. They have three children, Nicholas, Claire and Leon, and two grandchildren, Mia and Nicole.
As is almost everyone linked to sport, John Zammit has been an enthusiast since he was a boy at school, but he was different to all the others – he had no other sport but cycling close to his heart.
When he was still a 10-year-old, he was given a bike by the proprietor of the Valentine Garage in Sliema, Valent Cardona, and his future in cycling was secured. He considers that moment his baptism of fire in the sport.
He said: “It was not a racing bike, but rather an old policeman’s bike, but it served to be my launching pad in the sport which I have grown to love so much.”
He was still at school when he was launched onto the local scene by Sam Portelli, a masseur, who introduced him to Joe Polidano, then Malta champion. “Joe lured me to the Qormi Cycling Club and I became a member. It was there that I began my competitive career. They were a very well-organised club, run by former MCA president Joe Abela and Anthony Borg, proprietor of Centre Point at Qormi, who still helps me and the association today. Later I joined Floriana Cycling Club. Through-out my career, I obtained very good placings and good results and I even raced with the national team on some occasions. The biggest moments were the Mediterranean Games in Tunisia in 1967 and the pre-Olympic event in Munich in 1972.
“I also had a very bright spell with Sicilian club GS Lampolet of Catania, with whom I raced for three years. It was not easy, as I had to cross over to Sicily frequently to be able to take part in races over there. But I got a lot of satisfaction because I managed to help the club win several honours during that spell. And I also have to say that I am proud that contacts made during that period in the 1970s have borne the desired fruit. In fact we are still in contact with them – and other Sicilian clubs – today, especially through their participation in the Tour of Malta,” he said.
When Zammit ended his competitive career – he also used to take part in the special sprints on the old Gzira Stadium track on certain special occasions – he turned his eye to coaching first and later to the administrative side of sport.
His coaching career was not long, but he also led the Malta national team in their adventure at the Andorra Games for European Small States in 1991, though they did not achieve any successful results.
He also had a successful career as an administrator. “It all started after I stopped racing competitively, early in the 1970s, after the death of my father. I stopped completely for a short period, but then I was introduced to that sector by athlete Charles Cioffi as a member of AS Libertas. “He was jogging at Sliema and I used to bike on the Sliema Front. One day he stopped me and asked me whether I would join Libertas to organise the cycling discipline at that club and I agreed. Not only did I get cycling organised, but I also took the opportunity to introduce BMX to the club – and the island – through Libertas. In a few years, it grew so much that we even set up an association and we also had it affiliated to the International Federation,” he added.
Zammit is a long-standing member of the Cycling Federation, representing Libertas, and he also served as a vice-president for several years. “I was elected president in 2002 and I consider that moment as the pinnacle of my administrative career. I have also worked hard on the Tour of Malta, of which I am a co-founder. This year we successfully organised the 13th tour and we hope this event will continue to be one of the main items on Malta’s sporting calendar,” he said.
As president of the federation, John has encountered several problems. “There is an enormous amount of work to do. Our sport is held on the roads and therefore we need to get permits from the authorities. Without the cooperation of the police, we cannot organise any events. But I still think it is an interesting job. You meet a lot of people and make various contacts. I would like to see more cooperation from the member clubs. Unfortunately, sometimes not everyone pulls the same rope, and therefore you aren’t always able to get the right atmosphere,” he said.
BMX is now 20 years old and it is all thanks to the initiative of John Zammit. “I consider BMX as my baby. In those days, in Sliema, there used to be some youngsters playing with their skate-boards and bikes on the pavement near the Tower. People, especially those walking along the promenade, were getting frustrated, and someone asked me if it would be possible to get them organised in some place to avoid the inconvenience to the public. I spoke to some of the youngsters and they agreed to join me at the place down below, which was still a big field, but which today has been turned into Independence Gardens.
“I had already started the sport at Libertas, but at Sliema we started organising time-trials. We could not hold other events because it was simply impossible. In 1986, we moved to Pembroke, as did Libertas, and there we had a good area where we could lay our track which today has been improved to international standards. We organise events throughout the year and we have a winter as well as a summer championship, apart from other special activities at Christmas and Easter. We also organise shows in various places with the help of local councils,” he added.
Asked to mention what he considered his best moment in competitive cycling, Zammit quickly referred to his winning of the Dwejra race. “It was a very difficult race over eight laps of the Mosta-Tal-Fiddien-Chadwick Lakes-Mosta Crossroads circuit. I also remember my spell in Sicily with GS Lampolet. It was a well-organised club. I raced alongside stronger opponents, but I helped the club win several trophies, also winning some races as well,” he remarked.
Zammit said he wanted to thank The Malta Independent for giving him the space for such an interview. “This is another great satisfaction for me, as it must have been for all those who have been interviewed before me. We all feel grateful for having been recognised as forming part of Maltese sporting history,” he said.
Zammit has also had some disappointing moments in his career, foremost among which was the incident during the then MMU (Milk Marketing Undertaking) race where he had to be taken to hospital. He said: “It was the third and final race of the Malta Championship. I had already won the first two races, but that incident prevented me from winning the Malta title, as I did not receive any points from that final race.”
Another disappointing moment struck John – and the BMX Association – a few years ago, when some vandals set the important “half pipe” ramp on fire and it was destroyed. “It took us over a year to get back ‘on track’,” he said.
Zammit’s biggest satisfaction in cycling arrived when he was elected to the presidency of the federation. “But I am also proud of the fact that I am the founder of BMX in Malta. I thank all those – members and parents – who have helped me establish this sport on such a sound basis.”
In a final comment, Zammit said he would have been happier to see those responsible for the good work being done on our roads include a cycling lane. “This is done abroad, even to encourage more people to take to a bike, even for a better environment all round. Also, the drainage culverts in the new roads are proving to be a hazard for cyclists. With some consultation, things could be done in a better way for the benefit of everyone. We could also give some good advice on this subject. After all, I believe that there will come a day when a good number of people start using a bike much more often, even to go to work,” he said.
Finally, he referred to the area near the main road at Pembroke which could be turned into a cycling circuit – and could also be used for running events. With the help of Pembroke local council, such a project would be very useful, as it could be closed to traffic without much interference,” he said.