The executive committee of the Sport Journalists Association met opposition Spokesperson for Sport Ryan Callus. A variety of topics were discussed related to the Sport in Malta. Ryan Callus also congratulated the Malta Sports Journalists Association for their stainless work. Mr. Callus also complimented all Maltese Sports Journalists and/or reporters for their great work as a profession in order to promote and foster a Sport Culture in our country for the future of our children. Opposition Spokesperson emphasized the importance of Clean Sport thus he also referred to the Draft Law against corruption in Sport. Discussions are underway and prepared by the appointed members of the task force and will continue in Parliament after the Easter recess.

Ryan Callus mentioned that through his professional competencies he sits on the board of the Land Authority representing opposition Nationalist party and had no objection to vote in favour of the decision for the Malta Sports Journalists Association to get land in order to be developed in a Sport Museum. He continued saying that the sport must be a way for connecting people and get rid of all the partisanism for better sporting results.

The President of the Malta Sports Journalists Association Sandro Micallef praised the relation that the Association always had in the past with Nationalist party and continued by wishing a better correlation with the same party in the future. Mr Micallef carried on by officially mentioning to the government and the opposition the three proposals of the Malta Sports Journalists Association – proposals which can be actuated in order for the Sport to take a new dimension whilst advancing in the agenda of the country.

The three proposals of the Malta Sports Journalists Association include;

  1. All Political parties must promise in their electoral programme prior to the general election that Sport will get a Ministry for Sport and will not remain in the level of Parliament Secretariat.;
  2. The Government with the help of Sport Malta will identify 10 Sports Associations mainly Associations that are well organized and thus can be the future for tangible results at an international level. The Association will be given secondment by the government in order for the athlete/coach / administrator etc. to help the association full time. This can be done solely with an internal call for Applications issued to fill such vacancies in the Sport Sector given that if the athlete/coach/administrator no longer are interested in the post they will move back to his/her original grade.
  3. The Government will increase the sport related budget for direct assistance to the athlete i.e. up to a million. The increases of votes will be irrespective of whether or not there is an international event such as GSSE/ Commonwealth etc. in that particular year. In the yearly budget of the government there must be a distinction between votes for capital projects i.e. sport facilities and votes directed to training and/or competition of the Elite athlete.

The delegation of the Sports Journalists Association was administered by President Sandro Micallef whilst Mr Callus was accompanied by members of Team Sport PN.