One of the first decisions I took upon my appointment as Opposition as Shadow Minister for Sport by the party leader was to put this sector on the national agenda. As I have recently stated in parliament, there is no place for partisan politics in sport and my resolve is to give a fresh direction and perspective.
The national conference on sport recently organised by the Nationalist Party has conveyed a strong message on its vision and the holistic approach which we are envisaging. We will not stop here and will keep lobbying for more investment both in terms of sport infrastructure and on the athletes. The challenge ahead of us is to raise awareness on how sport must be part and parcel of a healthy lifestyle which is paramount for a healthy society on various fronts.
The national conference Sport in Malta held a few days ago was just a point of departure but also a sign that we mean business. We have given notice of the direction in which as a country we should be heading in order to give sport the importance it truly deserves for the upcoming generations.
Apart from serving as a springboard to launch a consultation process, this conference was testament to our credibility and the people’s ambitions in sport.
The positive feedback from participants who turned out in good numbers buoyed me with confidence. Meanwhile, as preparations are underway for the second conference scheduled for October, I will be holding more talks with stakeholders, youth organisations and SportMalta in a bid to ensure the Opposition keeps its ears to the ground.
In recent weeks, we worked on proposals and a plan of action which will serve as foundations for Malta’s policy on sport.
We strongly believe that in order for sport to be given the importance it deserves it should no longer be relegated to a parliamentary secretariat but a fully-fledged ministry.
The PN believes it should lead by example and for this reason the first step was to elevate sport to the highest echelons within its organisational and political structure. Consequently, TimSport PN - which I had established 23 years ago and has been granted official recognition in the revamped statute - will have its representatives within the general council and the executive committee.
We also launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness on social media on the importance of embracing the values of sport across all strata of society.
This will entail the involvement of athletes, and Maltese as well as foreign sport personalities.
We will also be striving to ensure that the PN’s proposal to dedicate more time to physical exercise in schools will materialise. It is unacceptable that some schools only dedicate one lesson or two per week for physical education. We are committing ourselves to find a compromise in the students’ best interests between purely academic subjects and physical exercise.
Another proposal which we will be working on in the coming weeks is related to the National Sport School which was set up in 2012 under a Nationalist administration. We believe this educational institution should be extended to post-secondary level in order for promising athletes to pursue their dreams further. We will be lobbying for the implementation of this plan which has been in the pipeline from the very beginning when this school opened its doors eight years ago.
This is just the beginning of our long journey for sport in Malta. I reiterate my appeal for sport organisations, athletes and all those who have sport at heart to join us as we are stronger together. This is the way we can face challenges not only in sport but from a holistic perspective.
Our endeavour for sport and youths is key to ensure a healthier society while giving sport the recognition it truly deserves. While we are not deterred by the fact the party is in Opposition we are pledging our total commitment as we believe the PN is the party capable of placing sport on the national agenda.
Robert Cutajar is Shadow Minister for Sport, Youth, Voluntary Organisations, Fight against Obesity