Bernard Grech has stated that the sports sector requires the government's unbridled attention and hence, must be given a ministry dedicated solely to it. The Nationalist Party leader also called for all sports association to be given the necessary support to have their own premises to practise their respective disciplines.

"I want to see a ministry solely dedicated to sport," Grech said. "Sports cannot remain to be a secondary subject paired with other sectors like education," he added.

During a PN political activity on Sunday morning, the Nationalist Party invited people from all over the sports sector to reach out and pitch their proposals on how to support and improve the sports sector across the Maltese islands.

This exercise, hosted at the Mediterranean College for Sport, was carried out for the PN to discuss its electoral programme.

After listening to the perspectives of people coming from different sports disciplines, institutions, and backgrounds, the Opposition leader and the party's sports spokesperson, David Agius, gave their remarks.

Bernard Grech said that he believes there is great importance in sports, and that these games are not just important for children and athletes. He described how sports teaches people how their bodies function, how they promote discipline, and how they can teach a person how to control themselves, mind over body.

In this regard, the Opposition leader described that he wishes for sports to be "an integral part of school's curriculum" and for physical education to be upped in relevance from its current status.

He also added that investing in the sports sector equates to investing to improve the quality of life of the entire population.

"An investment in sports is equivalent to an investment in health because instead of investing in a cure, we are investing in preventing people from getting sick altogether," Grech said.

The Nationalist Party leader also called for government authorities to support every sports association to have its own building and/or premises where its community can enjoy their beloved sport.

During the activity, this need was discussed a handful of times, with one speaker observing that Sport Malta regularly struggles to accommodate their sport with spaces to practise due to lack of availabilities, and that this was "very demotivating."

PN's Shadow Minister for Sport, David Agius, reiterated this proposal, stating that politicians must see to empower sports pleading for their own owned premises, such as rugby, motor racing, futsal, and bowling, by helping them have their own facilities.

Agius questioned whether Ta' Qali could incorporate Malta's third sports village.

While he spoke positively of promoting physical activity, Agius shared his ambition that through investments in the sector, Malta can win its first Olympic medal within the next eight years.

Amongst the proposed required investments during this discussion, Grech verbally addressed the need to invest further to have more physical education (PE) teachers, to promote volunteering within the entire sector, to promote inclusion vis-à-vis the Paralympics and Special Olympics, to empower sports journalists, and for localities to have more public facilities for certain easily accessible sports, such as 3v3 basketball and outdoor volleyball.

One particular speaker vocalized their fear that if volunteering is not given the necessary support it merits, then several disciplines will struggle to attract even a single volunteer in the future.

Grech also listened to and commented on proposals to empower coaching in sports disciplines across the Maltese islands.

The President of the Malta Sports Coaches Association, Renzo Kerr Cumbo, said that "we are very far from having a solid representation of coaches in Malta." Describing the necessity of coaches to every sports discipline, Cumbo questioned the infrastructures present to pay and educate coaches, or if anything is currently in place to aptly compare a volunteer coach to a professional one.

"If we don't get this right, I think we will remain very far from achieving what we want to in this sector," he said.

In this regard, another speaker commented that properly trained coaches, youths within the sport will not be brought up learning all the correct skills as they are meant to.

While saying that more funds should be allocated towards sports in general, the PN leader called for tax to be removed from part-time work in this whole sector. Grech said that this would send the message that this work "is of value."

On the subject of sports and inclusion, some speakers discussed how sports are for people of all ages - not just youths; resultantly, questions were raised about infrastructures empowering adults and senior citizens to participate in sport across Malta and Gozo. Several people also discussed the need to identify the challenges that hold people back from taking up a sport as at least a physical activity.

Concluding the political activity, Bernard Grech commented that for one to practise a sport, they require time, and hence reiterated his party's call to revamp the country's economic model into one that allows people to have this necessary time. During these concluding remarks, he stated that the PN is committed to bolster the sports sector, should it be placed in a position to govern.