Reference is made to the article in the sports pages entitled “No promises broken: Government keeps its word” by Joe Cassar, CEO of the Malta Sports Council (TMIS, 20 September).

First and foremost I need to qualify that my contribution is in my personal capacity as a sport enthusiast and rugby player.

It is generally accepted that the Malta Sports Council (KMS) manages the resources assigned to it by the central government. If the government promised a rugby pitch during the last years of its administration but did not deliver, surely the KMS is not at fault. After all, only politicians make electoral promises!!

Mr Cassar mentions that the government subsidizes the use of the pitch to the tune of e30,000 per annum. Can Mr Cassar inform the general public on the number of land concessions and other financial subsidies given by the government/s over the decades to other sports organisations? I get the feeling that rugby is getting shabby treatment when it comes to matters relative to facilities. When the Prime Minister promised the much-needed pitch, most of us expected this promise to be kept on the same lines as the concessions given to other sport disciplines. It is necessary to highlight that rugby is one of the few, if not the only one, that has to rent local premises to host international games.

As for the issue of the golf matter, on 17 January 2005 the Malta Sports Council invited the representatives of the three sporting associations using the Marsa fields (archery, baseball and rugby) to discuss, in the presence of a consultant to the Ministry for Education, Sports and Youth, the eventuality of the Marsa site being picked for the development of the then proposed golf course. Following the said meeting the three sports associations prepared a joint proposal highlighting the particular needs and requirements of each individual sport association for its short and long-term development, but also considered the benefits of having a combined facility, primarily from an administration and maintenance aspect. In their proposal, the three associations focused on International Standard relative to each sport, the European Health and Safety Regulations and the EU’s Duty of Care requirements. The proposal also highlighted the possible income to the Maltese treasury through sport tourism. This report was handed in February 2004 to KMS with the promise that it would be pushed to Cabinet level.

The sport of rugby is in dire need of appropriate playing fields which can sustain its current growth and fixtures and minimise injuries (most of the injuries sustained locally derive from the excessively hard surface of the available fields). KMS is to be commended for its assistance but should tell the government that all the nice speeches made by its MPs do not impress us anymore.

Pierre Mangion

SLIEMA