Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, sporting activities like many others came to a halt in order to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus in Malta.

For this reason, two University of Malta students within the Institute for Physical Education and Sport - Donovan Borg and Darren Debono - created a video highlighting the Impact of COVID-19 on Maltese National Athletes.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Borg and Debono said that just as their initial project for their assignment had to be abandoned due to the changes that Covid-19 brought about in their course.

 “We wanted to depict the athletes' lives during these circumstances and what they had to do to adapt,” they said. However when sports facilities were shut down a vital part of their training came to an abrupt halt.

While throughout the pandemic a lot of attention was given to other sectors, they felt that the impact on athletes fell a bit under the radar. “This was our attempt to give them an opportunity to let them be heard.”

Both Borg and Debono believe that people will be inspired by these athletes and use them as a source of encouragement.

They spoke to four Maltese athletes, practicing four different sports - basketball player Alec Felice Pace, badminton player Matthew Abela, rugby player Benjamin Borg, and swimmer Amy Micallef (photos below)

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected their career as athletes?

The main issue was that all events and competitions were cancelled in order to avoid the spread of the virus.

Swimmer Amy Micallef explained that “this season was geared up for the Olympics.” The plan was to travel to Luxembourg to compete in the European Championships, however they got cancelled. She said that the “European Championships would have determined whether I would represent Malta for the Olympics or not.”

Badminton player Matthew Abela also said that “all badminton tournaments have been cancelled up till July so far.” He expressed his disappointment that he did not get the chance to compete in the European Championships as it was very difficult to qualify for such competitions.

Basketball player Felice Pace also said that sporting events were cancelled, such as “the tournament for our National Team – Starlites Basketball Club – as well as the Games of the Small States of Europe, which was meant to take place in 2021.”

“Not being able to finish off a winning streak for us on a club level is very disappointing”, rugby player Benjamin Borg said. In addition, “on a National level we were meant to have two games for the play-offs against Croatia and Israel. However, these also got cancelled.”

Covid-19 has also influenced the personal training regime of these athletes.

Borg remarked that “we are currently training more with rehab in mind, and making sure to be prepared for the future as at this stage none of us know what’s coming. Thus, we need to be prepared for anything as much as possible.” Training sessions have been carried out with the help of technology and “the shift to online training has helped us massively. It has also been of great help on a personal level as we are able to train with the space and equipment we have.”

Badminton player Abela explained that together with his coach they have built up a programme which will help him improve his strength and overall physicality. Although “I don’t have much equipment to work with, I can still manage quite well,” he said.

Basketball player Felice Pace explained that “at the beginning of this Coronavirus situation, it was very challenging to find motivation to actually train because we did not know how long we were going to be in this situation. In addition, we no longer had access to indoor courts and it was dangerous to train in outdoor courts, thus it made a great impact on basketball athletes.”

Swimmer Amy Micallef remarked that “usually during summer season, when its off-season, my break would be for four to five weeks. However, this has definitely been the longest I have gone without training, without being in the pool. The work rate has decreased drastically, as I cannot train as much as I used to.” She is still training in the sea going for a few open water swims.

Have you experienced any challenges with regards to your mental health?

Basketball player Felice Pace said that, at first, he was quite happy that he had to stop as he got quite tired by the end of season. However, when weeks turned into months he started missing basketball.

Badminton player Abela said that the lack of badminton training has been quite tough on his mental state. “I’ve been trying to do other things such as reading, watching game matches, analysing my games and other players’ games.”

This issue is something that swimmer Amy Micallef had to face too but she has been trying to look at it in the best way possible. “This is not an easy situation to be in, but I gave myself a few days to take a break and re-think and restructure. I have also found that swimming in the sea can be relaxing. I’m obviously trying to push myself but I’ve enjoyed it.”

Rugby player Benjamin Borg has also taken some time to find out what his priorities are in the current situation as he believes that this is the best way to deal with the mental side of things. 

What advice would you give to other athletes in such conditions?

Badminton player Matthew Abela advised athletes to stay patient as “we need to play our part to try and stay safe and stay home as much as we can.”

In the meantime, basketball player Felice Pace suggested that this is a great opportunity for athletes to sit down and analyse, especially those in team sports. “Watch games as much as possible and analyse, set short term goals which are easily achievable right now. Stay in shape so you can pick up where you left off when this is over,” he said.

Swimmer Micallef reminded athletes that they got involved in their sport because they love it, so, it is best to forget about the competition right now and focus on why they are doing it.

She also suggested keeping busy and rugby player  Borg shared this sentiment. “When there is free time, take it and use it – make sure you understand the people that you’re surrounded by, and make sure they understand your passion for this sport. Keep it up, set the goals, keep dreaming and achieving – and we’ll get there.”