Two athletes training to qualify for the Paralympic games have taken their frustration to Facebook due to the fact that some athletes are being exempt from the Covid-19 measures whilst others have to continue abiding by all restrictive measures. 

This comes following the recent announcement by the government and health authorities including the ban of organised sports activities until 11^th April. 

Paralympic athletes swimmer Maja Theuma and runner Antonio Flores said that this situation brings about a huge problem as “March is a crucial month for attaining a qualifying time for the Paralympic Games.” 

The Paralympic Games are set to take place this summer in Tokyo between August and September. 

Despite the new restrictive measures with regards to sports announced on Wednesday, the Superintendent for Health Professor Charmaine Gauci confirmed that talks are ongoing between the Public Health and the Malta Football Association (MFA) regarding this month’s World Cup qualifier between Malta and Russia. 

Malta are set to host Russia in their opening qualifying match for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with the match scheduled to take place on 24 March – long before sports, including football, would be allowed to re-open. 

It was also reported by Times of Malta that Malta’s new ban on organised sports gives Superintendent of Health Gauci the power to exempt national teams from the current Covid-19 measures so that they’ll have the possibility to hold international competitions in Malta. 

This exemption frustrated athletes such as Theuma and Flores, deeming it unfair that football teams can be exempt from Covid-19 measures, whilst they have to abide by the new measures. 

“It seems as if only football have international meets coming up? What about other non-contact and individual sports? Will this be the same as having all pools and sport amenities closed?” Theuma said. 

He added that “March was our time to shine and show that Malta has moved forward.”  

Although both Theuma and Flores expressed their belief and agreement that new measures were needed to control the Covid-19 pandemic in this country, they still believe that some of the restrictions seem rather unfair. 

“Having group limits up to four people is allowed outdoors but having one athlete and one coach isn’t?” 

Meanwhile, Flores also expressed his frustration and disappointment in another Facebook post saying that when he heard all organised sports were going to have to stop due to Covid-19 restrictions, it broke him. 

“Years of blood sweat and tears (literally) after having undergone an amputation followed by hours and hours of hard and intensive training, to lead us to this situation,” he said. 

Flores explained that “the only time I had to qualify was in March, which meant my effort to qualify vanished in front of my eyes.” 

“I understood this was for the greater good, however, having learnt that these restrictive measures didn’t limit all of us, is really unfair! Is not having Malta represented at the Paralympic Games important too?” Flores said.