A crowdfunding campaign on Zaar aims to bring back Mellieħa Basketball, returning the locality to national league competition for the first time in over two decades.
In its heyday in the early 2000s, Mellieħa Basketball was an important part of the community, bringing together players, families and volunteers from across the locality. The original club's gradual dissolution left a gap in local sport and youth opportunities that Selmun Sports Club is now determined to fill with the help of sports supporters throughout Malta.
Launched by Selmun Sports Club on Zaar, the crowdfunding campaign aims to raise €7,500 by 8 October to cover the costs of coaching, new kits and training shirts, court rental, photography and videography services and marketing for the debut season.
Funds raised will help rebuild Mellieħa Basketball from the ground up, with youth teams at U8, U12, U16 and U19 level alongside a senior men's team in the Malta Basketball Association's Division 2. Should the campaign exceed its target, additional funds will go towards the youth teams' uniforms, equipment, coaching and indoor training facilities - with the longer-term ambition of returning Mellieħa to Division 1, the highest national league in Malta.
While the club continues to seek a main sponsor and an official venue partner, it has already secured training at the Ta' Qali Basketball Pavilion and appointed Fabrizio Mariani - widely regarded as one of the finest players in Maltese basketball history - as head coach.
"This club is run by volunteers, and it will be rebuilt by its people," says Neil Muscat, who leads the crowdfunding campaign for Selmun Sports Club. "Now we're turning to the people because this comeback belongs to the whole community - the families, the former players and everyone who remembers what Mellieħa Basketball meant to this town. Every contribution puts us one step closer to seeing Mellieħa's colours on a national court again."
Supporters who contribute €10 or more will also receive rewards as a token of gratitude, from an official Mellieħa Basketball keychain to an exclusive supporter T-shirt and an invitation to the start-of-season launch event.
Beyond basketball, Selmun Sports Club offers a range of sports including volleyball, Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, powerlifting and blackball, to provide a safe and positive environment where young people can build discipline, teamwork, confidence and healthy habits - on and off the court.
Back the Rebuilding Mellieħa Basketball! crowdfunding campaign on Zaar at www.zaar.com.mt.