Updated | Don’t leave small nations games hosting preparations till the last minute, Ryan Callus urges

Malta has to step up its investment in sports and sports facilities, which at the moment is sorely lacking, Ryan Callus has said.

During a discussion in Parliament on the budgetary estimates connected to areas under the Education and Employment Ministry’s remit, the Nationalist Party MP urged the government to not leave preparations for the small nations games - planned to take place in Malta - to the last minute.

Malta will be hosting the 20th edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe in 2023, with Callus highlighting the importance of the government undertaking the sports infrastructure improvements necessary for the games to take place on the island.

Callus emphasised that investment in sports has fallen by the wayside in recent years. He commended the work of the government in creating a shooting range in Ta’ Kandja, but said that other sporting areas haven’t received much attention.

“I would like to see the commitment the government showed in the area of shooting sports applied to other sport sectors,” he said.

He said that, despite the large number of sports organisations in Malta, government funding for sports has been at low levels, with virtually no increases in funds over the past few years.

Turning to the sports village project that Valletta FC and their Dubai investors want to build, he said it was a pity that the Planning Authority had opposed this.

“It pains me to hear of a foreign investor who is ready to invest €250 million in a football club, but then have to complain that they are finding difficulties because administrative doors have been shut for them,” he said.

Callus also spoke about the proposed building of a rugby ground, which he said was an electoral promise which never materialised. “[Tourism Minister] Konrad Mizzi had promised this before the [2017] election, but it remains nothing but a dream blowing in the wind.”

The creation of a racing track had also been a government electoral campaign promise, but it too hasn’t come to be, he said.

“A Nationalist government would ensure this promise is put into effect. Such a track would give the opportunity to Maltese drivers to participate in motorsports without having to leave our shores,” the PN MP added.

Capital investment in sport is strong - Clifton Grima

Countering some of Callus’ claims, Sports parliamentary secretary Clifton Grima said that the government had in fact several sports-related schemes in place.

“If I had to speak about the sports schemes the government has put into effect, I wouldn’t have enough time to discuss them all in my allotted time slot,” he said.

Grima noted that work on the athletic track in Marsa was underway, so as to have it ready in time for the small nations games.

He went on to mention various other sports projects the government had set into motion, including the new basketball pavilion in Ta’ Qali, the upcoming work on a gymnastic complex in Marsa, the expected opening of a football stadium in Birzebbugia December, and the completion of work in the next few months on another stadium in Marsascala.

In terms of the rugby stadium, Grima said that Project Malta was just about to issue tenders on the “very important project”.

He also confirmed that the racing track is indeed going to be built, but that planning and environmental considerations, which took time, had to first be finalised. "The motorsport federation is in discussions with us and is aware of the work we are doing."

“We are trying to use the existing sports space we have in Malta in the best way possible,” he said, “… and there the government has put in a strong capital investment in sport.”

“The reality is that a lot of work is being done in this area, and we have to build on our solid foundations,” Grima underlined.