Henry Calleja, veteran sports journalist, passes away

Henry Calleja, the veteran sports journalist, died earlier today. He was 77. 

Calleja had been covering sports for half a century, having worked for Xandir Malta, later named the Public Broadcasting Services. 

He began his career in 1964, covering lower division football matches and gradually moving on to the First Division. Until recently, he was still covering Premier League matches for the PBS.

Calleja was president of the Malta Sports Journalists Association from 1987 to 2004, and was also the public broadcaster's representatives at international competitions, such as the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.

He also worked as sports editor for the Il-Hajja newspaper, and held the same position at The Malta Independent from 1992 to 1997.

In a statement, the Malta Football Association said it was saddened by the news that Calleja had passed away. 

"Henry Calleja has made a sterling contribution to local sports, especially football, through his work in the local sports media during a career spanning several decades," the MFA said, adding that his death was a loss for the Maltese sporting community.