SportMalta signed an agreement with the Maltese Olympic Committee that will see the government body provide €2.7 million in technical assistance for the next four years.
Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, Clifton Grima, said that the government was committed to provide assistance to the Maltese Olympic Committee so that it would be in a better position to independently establish what funds are available to help in the technical preparation of the athletes, particularly for major international events, and to host international competitions.
“Through this agreement, the Maltese Olympic Committee will be in a better position to plan for international competitions as well as the Games of the Small States of Europe that will be held in Malta in 2023,” Dr Grima said.
“Added to that, the government, through SportMalta, is working on a professional athletes scheme and in the coming weeks we will be announcing a record investment that will be invested on individual athletes.”
On his part, Mark Cutajar, the chief executive of SportMalta, said that his organisation were enthusiastic that once more they are providing a record financial package to the Maltese Olympic Committee.
“The relationship that SportMalta has with the Maltese Olympic Committee is excellent, but we firmly believe in the autonomy that the Maltese Olympic Committee should enjoy. Thus a contract for the next four years will be helping the associations and the athletes to plan for a longer period,” Cutajar said.
Julian Pace Bonello, the president of the Maltese Olympic Committee, said that through this financial assistance, the local governing body of elite sport will be able to help the top athletes from local federations so that with their commitment and sacrifice along with other assistance manage to bring more sporting success in the next four years.
The agreement signed yesterday, includes a total subsidise on the rent of the Maltese Olympic Committee offices, the Functional Diagnostic Lab and also provides gym memberships at the Tal-Qroqq Sports Complex for athletes selected by the MOC.
In a statement, the government said that the agreement was signed SportMalta chief executive Cutajar, MOC president Pace Bonello and Joe Cassar, secretary general of the Maltese Olympic Committee.
