Minister of Education Dr Louis Galea said yesterday that Government had invested a sum of over Lm12 million in local sport during the past eight years.
He was making his annual policy speech, addressing athletes and officials during the annual ceremony of the announcement of the finalists for the National Sporting Contests.
Dr Galea said the Government was conscious of the fact that sport needed more funds, but in the present circumsntaces that is what could be done for Maltese sport.
He also announced that in the next few days, the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport will be handing over the sum of Lm120,000 to the Malta Olympic Committee as well as other aid ‘in kind’ for the current year, during which Malta will be taking part in the Commonwealth Games and in the Island Games.
The Minister also said that the Government is to continue with the construction of the Regional Sports Centre project at Kirkop, close to St Benedict College which already has some good sports facilities including a pitch and an athetics track of very good quality.
He added that this centre will complement the other projects which have been undertaken by the government during past years, such as the centre in Gozo, the University Hall and the Cottonera Sports Complex, as well as other facilities such as the Tal-Qroqq swimming pool (where over Lm400,000 were spent last year for repairs and refurbishing). He also said government’s expenditure on sport included funds for maintenance and improvements on the Athletics Track at Marsa, the Bidnija Shooting Ranges, the Basketball pavilion, and technical equipment bought for use by the various associations on the occasion of the Small Nations Games in 2003.
He said he believed it was thanks to such an investment that many athletes are blossing and giving Maltese sport a lot of satisfactions.
He added he hoped the government would have more funds to pump into local sport. “We are doing what we think is best in the present circumstances,” he said.
He laid an emphasis on the fact that a number of youngsters were still not being attracted to sport. He added: “Times have changed and maybe, we have to change to modern systems to try and attract as much youths as possible to the sports field. At the same time, I still appeal to all – young and old – to take part in some form of exercise, as part of the Sport for All project.”
Near the end of his speech, Dr Galea thanked all those who worked for the good of sport, whether it was on a voluntary basis or not. “In the next few months, the KMS will be organising the first national conference on sport. I invite everyone to contribute in a positive way so that sports will continue to develop. We have to work harder together to make sure our message – investing in sport makes sense both for one’s health and even for the country – is heard,” he concluded.
Before commencing his speech, Dr Galea asked everyone for a few moments of reflection in memory of those sportsmen and sportswomen, including Mrs Susan Farrugia Sacco, wife of the MOC president, who departed this life during the past year.