Government investment through Kunsill Malti għall-iSport

The Kunsill Malti għall-iSport (KMS) would like to point out a few facts of which John Zammit (Success At The Olympics, August 20) shows he is not aware when he states that "national support and funds spent on sports, two elements so badly lacking in Malta".

Over the last few years the government has invested in the building and setting up of various sports venues around the islands amongst which are: the Cottonera Sports Complex; the Marsa Sports Complex; the National Pool Complex; the Tal-Qroqq Fitness Centre; and the Gozo Sports Complex. Meanwhile, works on the Regional Sports Complex in Kirkop are at an advanced stage and a complex in the northern part of Malta is also being planned. Apart from the running and maintenance costs of these venues, the government has built facilities which have been transferred to sports associations and has assigned over 100 contracts of land and property to be used for sports purposes, leased to sports associations and clubs by legal title and which are also heavily subsidised. At the same time, assistance is also given to the respective organisations for maintenance and upgrading of these facilities.

In these last three years (2005-2007) the KMS has given more than €1,000,000 in financial assistance to the Malta Olympic Committee (which includes subsidies on KMS venues and facilities, and assistance to athletes), more than €1,000,000 in financial assistance to sports organisations, and around €700,000 in subsidies for sports organisations using the KMS venues and facilities. In addition to these, the KMS has also spent around €350,000 in the organisation of the various sports educational programmes offered to children annually. For this year the government has allocated directly to the KMS the sum of €3.5 million.

It is important to note that William Chetcuti, one of the athletes who participated in the Beijing Olympics, is a full-time staff member with the KMS, and during these last three years has been assigned to the Malta Shooting Federation to follow a Malta Olympic Committee programme in preparation for these Olympic Games.

Direct assistance is also given to athletes, administrators, coaches, medical staff, medical and paramedical officers and other roles, when going abroad, participating in international sports events, to represent Malta. This is better known as special/sports leave through which athletes benefit from the pay of their normal wage. Throughout these three years a total of 1951 days were approved.

The government has recently launched three schemes to continue assisting sports activity on the island: Parents are to benefit from reduction in taxable income, spent on fees of sporting activities approved by KMS; the government will be giving grants to officially recognised sport associations, with regards to capital expenditure incurred in their sport facilities; and financial grants are to be deducted from taxable income for private companies that provide financial support for the participation of sports organisations or athletes in national and international sporting events. Further proposals and initiatives are also included in the pre-budget 2009 document.