Through an agreement signed in the presence of Sports Minister Clifton Grima, land located in Triq il-Misraħ il-Barrieri, Msida, has been transferred to the Msida Saint Joseph Football Club on a 45-year lease.

Through a 95% government subsidy on the acquisition of land for sports facilities, the total amount of rent that the club will be paying is €620 annually, rather than its current value of €11,780.

The rent payment will be placed in a sports fund so that the money can then be utilised for further reinvestment in local sports.

It was described that through this agreement, the club is now in a position to manage this land, now having a major incentive to invest in its own sports facilities on-site as well as ancillary services, which includes administrative offices for sports activities, gymnasiums, and sports clinics.

These facilities will be available for use by both the club's youth nursery and by schoolchildren during school hours, as per the agreement.

Minister Grima said that this is another agreement that demonstrates the government's commitment to helping sports associations and organisations at every level.

"Our plan and vision are clear, that of strengthening the sports sector to continue raising the level of sport in our country, even at the club level," he said.

After speaking about the various supportive schemes being provided to associations and clubs to strengthen their work in the various respective sports disciplines, Minister Grima stated that this agreement is a demonstration of the government's commitment to continuing to fulfil its electoral promises and offer initiatives that provide clubs and sports federations with the tools and facilities for them to keep growing.

On behalf of SportMalta, Matthew Pisani noted that this agreement is another confirmation of his entity's work in promoting the sports sector at a community level.

"We are expanding our work so that more clubs and associations have professional sports facilities where they can practise their sporting disciplines; facilities that are also open to students so that they too have space in their town or village for sports and physical activity," Pisani observed.

The President of Msida Saint Joseph Football Club, Robert Farrugia, stated that with this agreement, the club can now make a leap in quality in terms of having modern facilities as well as in being a benefit to the surrounding community as a whole.