Matthew Micallef St John Athletics Stadium inaugurated at Marsa

The Matthew Micallef St John Athletics Stadium was inauguarted by the Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima on Saturday.

The project, which started last year and was completed a few months before the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe, has cost €2.5 million and will provide top-level facilities for the Maltese athletes preparing for international competition.

“This investment has enabled our country to have an athletics track of the highest level so that Maltese athletes can train and practice their favourite sport in a professional set-up. This track will be hosting athletes who will be competing at the Games of the Sports States of Europe that will get under way in May,” Dr Grima said.

The Minister for Sport said that through the projects of sports infrastructure that are being done in the country, Malta is continuing to raise the level of facilities to international standards and therefore both the athletes as well as the spectators will have the best possible environment.

“This is a project that will enable us to host international competitions and therefore boost our country’s sports tourism sector,” Dr Grima said.

“It is also a project that goes hand in hand with the National Sports Strategy that sports infrastructure as one of its main areas.

“My biggest satisfaction is the fact that children from Malta and Gozo also have facilities that will help them to train in a more professional set up and groom their talent so that in the future they can represent our country in international competitions.”

In a statement, the government said that through this investment, the Marsa Sports Complex is being transformed into a sports hub of international level through various facilities for different sports.

The project has included the construction of new structures in the facility, the resurfacing of the 400m athletics track, as well as the 100m warm-up track. A new fence was erected around the facility while the main stand was rebuilt and includes changing rooms, lecture rooms, a photo finish room, stores, clinics, and two gym facilities. Added to that the areas for pole vault, high jump, long jump and throws were all renovated.

Mark Cutajar, the SportMalta CEO, said that this is a project that joins a number of sport infrastructure projects around Malta.

“The plan is that we continue to invest in sporting facilities that are accessible to everyone who in one way or another practices a physical activity, from people who conduct basic training to others who embarked on a professional career,” Cutajar said.