MOC president Julian Pace Bonello (right) shaking hands with Bajada New Energy managing director Mark Bajada, yesterday.The Maltese Olympic Committee (MOC) yesterday signed a two-year partnership agreement with Bajada New Energy that will provide funds to boost the technical preparation of elite and youth athletes.
This agreement comes at the right time for the MOC as it is approaching a crucial period of the year.
In the coming months, Maltese athletes will be competing in two important international events, the Games of the Small States of Europe, in Iceland, and the inaugural European Games, in Baku, Azerbaijan, both to be held in June.
Jonathan Vella, director of marketing at the MOC, told a news conference yesterday that the governing body for elite sport had been working hard over the past few months to attract financial support from the private sector with the aim of aiding the preparation of athletes from various federations.
“For the past two years, the marketing department of the MOC has been striving to give the organisation a new image and a big part of our plan was to try and bring in new partners,” Vella said.
“We are pleased that Bajada New Energy have accepted to assist us as their backing will help to bolster the technical preparation of our athletes.
“Sixty per cent of the funds from this agreement will go into the youth elite scheme which is being introduced to give further assistance to our athletes in their preparation for international events.”
Julian Pace Bonello, the MOC president, said he was grateful to Bajada New Energy for their commitment to support sport.
He said the Maltese Olympic Committee is doing everything it can to ensure that the country’s elite athletes have the right environment to maximise their potential.
“These kind of partnerships are crucial for the MOC to support our athletes in the best way possible,” Pace Bonello said.
“We have just unveiled the Elite Youth Scheme that will see 87 athletes from 21 different disciplines benefiting from financial assistance which they can use over the next 12 months for training purposes.
“This initiative will enable our athletes, both elite and youth, to attend training camps abroad and even participate in international competitions.”
Pace Bonello is hopeful that this agreement is the first of many with private firms as MOC athletes need to be constantly backed to be able to reach full potential.
Mark Bajada, managing director at Bajada New Energy, said this initiative was part of his company’s strategy to give its contribution to sport and culture.
“This is the first time our company has been involved in a major sponsorship agreement in sport,” he said.
“We felt the time was right for us to give a helping hand to the elite and upcoming athletes in Malta and our partnership with the MOC will surely help us to reach this objective.”
Also present for yesterday’s news conference was Flavio Cecchi, CEO at Bajada New Energy.