The Arena Sports Academy (ASA) has just been launched.

It is an association which incorporates various sport disciplines. The scope behind ASA is be able to offer professional training to young athletes on various sport.

ASA will commence with the Danilo Doncic Zeus School of Football and the Ray Elliot School of Rugby, but its plans are that in the future it will incorporate several other sport disciplines. The association between the Danilo Doncic Zeus School of Football and the Ray Elliot School of Rugby is something unique for the Maltese Islands because until now most sports associations focused on one sport only.

The Academy, will not only give the opportunity to their students to choose their sports in the initial stages, but also to be able to switch to the other sports disciplines that are being offered. Even if one of the major aims will be the potential identification and full development of all attending students, ASA will make sure that similar attention will be given to those who wish to practice their favourite sport not to a professional level.

Our aims are not only to produce top athletes but also to provide a fun environment for all, especially for the younger students. An all-inclusive environment will be the basis of the Academy.

The Danilo Doncic Zeus School of Football will be guided by Danilo Doncic, a former highly-experienced Valletta FC and Sliema FC player. Doncic is a qualified coach presently with the Premier Division team Floriana FC.

Doncic will be assisted by two Serbian coaches who are already in Malta. Together this team can offer a lot to the students through their vast experience and modern methods of training.

The Danilo Doncic Zeus School of Football offers traditional and scientific guidance for the individual attention to its students so as to establish their skills from a very young age. Also the students will be offered the opportunity to attend training camps and tournaments in other countries in order to enhance their capabilities and love for their sport.

The Ray Elliot School of Rugby will be administered by one of the oldest and strongest rugby clubs in Malta - Kavallieri RFC. It has always been the club’s intention to set up a similar environment where rugby can be taught and played according to the Academy’s all-inclusive principles.

This rugby school has been named in memory of Ray Elliot, one of the first Kavallieri RFC’s rugby coaches who was greatly respected and loved, not only in our local rugby scene but also internationally. Elliot’s family and Kavallieri RFC are more than happy that the School is being named after this gentleman who played and loved this game since his early years.

Ray Elliot School of Rugby will be supported by the vast resources that Kavallieri RFC boasts of, and also from external bodies including foreign coaches. Together, a professional environment is ensured to all attending rugby students.

The amalgamation of these two sports is being considered as one of the strong points that can put the Academy on solid foundations and look ahead to incorporate other sport disciplines and guarantee the rarely found combination where participants can choose their sport to excel and have fun.

Another advantage is that the Arena Sports Academy are to hold training sessions in the Independence Arena in Floriana, and is therefore very safely accessible thanks to the nearby public transport at the Valletta City Gate that is only 300 metres away.

All sports and training programmes will be announced in the near future. Danilo Doncic School of Football can be contacted on 9942 2799. Phone numbers for Ray Elliot School of Rugby are 9942-9590 and 9949-6808.