The Ministry for Inclusion and Social Well Being in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport and Mark Cutajar, SportMalta chief executive announced a financial grant of €21,000 to Frame Football Malta.
The grant will allow Frame Football Malta to buy 31 specialised frames so that disabled children will be able to play football.
Frame Football is an adapted concept of the game of football for children who need a walking frame or crutches to play the Beautiful Game. This investment is making sure that every boy and girl that need any kind of assistance for their mobility and would like to play football like all other children do so.
“This investment continues to confirm the government’s policy of having an inclusive society and that will bring together everyone together and nurture everyone’s talent,” a ministry statement said.
Julia Portelli, the Minister for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing said that the principle of inclusion contributes a lot for a better quality of life.
“This investment shows in a tangible way that the principle of inclusion is not just something written on a paper but is being put in practice in a concrete way,” Portelli said.
“Inclusion in sport is one of the cornerstones of the national strategy for people with a disability that will be launched in the coming weeks.”
Portelli emphasised the importance of creating an environment where persons with a disability will feel comfortable doing what other people do even if in a different form.
“The contribution of voluntary organisations like Frame Football Malta further strengthens our work in this direction,” the Minister said.
On his part, Clifton Grima, the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, said that this was an historic day for inclusion in Maltese sport and children who have a disability.
“Sport unites us, but to really say that through sport everyone is included we have to invest so that every person, irrespective of whether they have a disability or not, can participate in sport,” Dr Grima said.
The Parliamentary Secretary for sport said that the government’s mission is that apart from obtaining prestigious results from Maltese athletes but to provide access for every individual to train and practice sport.
Dr Grima said that this investment in the apparatus for frame football, apart from the physical impact on children and youth that have a disability, will help them to improve their social ability, communication and confidence in themselves.
“This investment defines the government’s message that it is really a government for the people and that creates opportunities so that nobody falls back,” he concluded.
On his part, Mark Cutajar, chief executive officer of Mark Cutajar, said that this investments is a fundamental part of SportMalta’s mission, to contribute to have a more healthy society, inclusive and successful.
Rita Darmanin Carbonaro, the president of Frame Football Malta, emphasised that the investment provided necessary tools for children and youngsters so that they continue to develop their skills in the game of football that they love so much. At the same time, it puts them on the same level as other foreign clubs with whom they will be able to participate and compete in tournaments and other sporting events.
