Labour backbencher appointed chairperson of SportMalta

Updated at 3:12pm with PN statement

Labour MP Omar Farrugia has been given the position of chairperson within SportMalta, replacing Andrew Decelis who resigned in September.

In 2022, Omar Farrugia—a former Mqabba mayor—was elected to parliament for the first time, where he currently serves as a backbencher.

Decelis, his predecessor, teaches sports management among other subjects related to sports as an associate professor at the University of Malta. One year into his three-year tenure, he resigned as chair of SportMalta. 

SportMalta is the state-run sports organisation for Malta. It is responsible for managing and running public facilities such as sports academies, national shooting ranges, and the national pool.

In a government statement, sports minister Clifton Grima, wished Farrugia well on his appointment, and stated that SportMalta was essential to guaranteeing a “culture of sporting excellence” in Malta and increasing participation rates in sports.

From its end, SportMalta welcomed this appointment, stating it would strengthen the government entity’s efforts. SportMalta thanked Farrugia’s predecessor, Decelis for his work within the entity.

Shortly after the announcement, the Nationalist Party stated that this appointment was nothing more than a move for government to keep its inner circles happy.

"With this appointment, [government] is adding to the list of Labour MPs that have another salary paid for by the people," the PN said.

The PN asked how Robert Abela and Clifton Grima could not find another candidate for the position with more experience in the sports sector.

The Opposition's sports spokesperson, Graham Bencini thanked Andrew Decelis for his work during his tenure.