A total of 15,000 state school students are taking part in sports days organised by the Education Division, the Malta Olympic Committee and various other sporting associations.

The cooperative venture set up a festival of sport for all students in the Year 1 to Year 6 bracket at all colleges.

Professional coaches have worked together with physical education teachers to set up competitions in various sporting disciplines. Various festivals will continue to run throughout March and April.

Education Minister Louis Galea paid a visit to the Cottonera Sports Complex yesterday, where close to 2,000 girls and boys spent three hours practising various disciplines under the watchful eyes of their coaches.

Dr Galea said he was pleased to see the investment being made by the government in sporting facilities, which was in turn being appreciated by sporting associations as well as the schools themselves.

“The government believes that this generation of children and youth are interested in physical activity and sport. This is why we are putting into practice a plan to have such facilities spread across all corners of Malta and Gozo,” said Dr Galea.

He also mentioned that government schools were being better equipped with sport facilities.

Students who took part in yesterday’s event tried their hand at athletics, baseball,

basketball, cricket, dancesport, golf, gymnastics, judo, football, handball, hockey, karate, netball, power-lifting, rugby, squash, table

soccer, tennis and volleyball.