The Cabinet has approved the transfer of land adjacent to the existing Sports Pavilion in Ta' Qali to the Malta Basketball Association, paving the way for the development of new sporting facilities, the government said.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Robert Abela during a meeting at Castille with Malta's various national basketball teams, all of which achieved historic success in their respective European Championships over the past few weeks, a government statement said.

Accompanied by Education and Sport Minister Byron Camilleri, Abela congratulated the men's and women's national teams after both won the European Championship for Small Countries.

Abela said that the Cabinet had this week decided to continue investing in basketball by transferring land next to the existing pavilion to the Malta Basketball Association, enabling it to expand its sporting facilities and provide athletes with the opportunity to take the next step in their development, the statement said.

"We are taking these decisions because we are convinced that this country has athletes who are internationally competitive. Yes, despite our size, we are capable of going abroad and winning," Abela said.

He also recognised the achievements of the national Under-18 and Under-16 girls' teams, who won their respective Division C European Championships, and the Under-16 boys' national team, who finished runners-up in the Division C European Championship.

Abela said the results confirmed that investment in athletes' talent yields exceptional results that make the country proud.

The Prime Minister said that, from the outset of his administration, the government had made sport one of the country's highest priorities.

He said the culture surrounding sport in Malta had changed, with young people now believing that sport can provide a career.

He attributed this progress to improvements in sports infrastructure, both in disciplines traditionally regarded as major sports and in those with lower participation levels.

The Prime Minister concluded by saying the government would continue providing this strategic direction, while athletes would remain ambassadors for the values promoted by sport, including integrity, discipline, sacrifice and team spirit, the statement added.