Sports activities for all the family as an alternative to gambling

The picturesque village of Siġġiewi welcomed an enthusiastic crowd of adults and energetic kids for a sports activity at the Siġġiewi F.C. football ground.

The event was the brainchild of the Siġġiewi Football Club Youth Nursery, headed by President Jonathan Vassallo, with the participation of the Responsible Gaming Foundation and Silvio Schembri, the Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation in the Prime Minister's Office.

After a thanksgiving mass and welcome speeches, certificates of participation were presented to those present. The sports activities varied from football games where groups of U8, U9, U10 and U11 players were involved together with the Naxxar Football Nursery, a penalty shoot-out, matches organised between coaches, parents and grown ups, keep fit sessions, a karate show, a small quiz session and an interview conducted with members of the Siġġiewi F.C. committee. Musical involvement was also included in the event with the Saint Nicholas Band paraded from the Siġġiewi village square to the football ground.

Schembri said that activities organised by the Responsible Gaming Foundation were an ideal way to make any person in need of help aware of the services offered by the same foundation for those afflicted by the gambling addiction.

“For this reason the foundation trains its staff to be in a better position to offer all the help needed. With the help of such sports activities that are organised all year round we can keep our young ones and those vulnerable away from addictions and in the same time we offer an alternative,” he said.

The promotions executive of the Responsible Gaming Foundation, Kayne Said, talked about the importance of raising awareness about responsible gaming and  also  made reference to  the Education Campaign among fourth year primary students, where RGF staff visit schools around Malta and Gozo alongside their mascot ‘’Chippy’’, to describe and discuss the problem of compulsive gambling from the early ages.

He also referred to the RGF freephone service 1777, where people suffering from addiction or relatives of such persons can call anonymously and find all the appropriate assistance from the trained staff of the foundation.

The President of the Siġġiewi Football Club Youth Nursery, Jonathan Vassallo, said that Siġġiewi F.C. received help from the CSRP of the foundation. He thanked all those who worked indirectly and directly in planning the event and all those who participated in the various sports activities.