All matches from the Malta Football Association championships were cancelled yesterday and the three fixtures in programme from the waterpolo Winter League were also called off as a consequence of the bad weather and the havoc left behind by the strong northeasterly winds that hit the islands late Friday and early yesterday.
The canopy at the main stand of the National Stadium in Ta’ Qali suffered extensive damages as covering metal sheets were ripped from the structure and blown several metres away.
Other damages were also reported at the Centenary Stadium and the Hibs Stadium as the Malta FA acted quickly to cancel all its matches, even those at venues not affected by the bad weather, as a security measure.
The postponements included the two matches from the BOV Premier League (Birkirkara vs Floriana and Hibernians vs Sliema), scheduled for the National Stadium, and both Division One matches (St Patrick vs Melita and Żejtun vs St Andrew’s) pencilled at the Tedesco Stadium.
The Division Three matches cancelled at Mosta and Ta’ Qali were Mdina vs Xgħajra, Mġarr vs Swieqi, Marsa vs Sta Luċija, Marsaskala vs Sirens and Mtarfa vs Qrendi.
The Malta FA said in a statement that repair works were already in hand.
However, a final decision on today’s fixtures’ list will only be taken this morning, depending also on improving weather conditions.
In Gozo, heavy rains flooded the pitch at the Gozo Stadium and the two matches from Division Two were called off.
At Tal-Qroqq, the ASA of Malta were forced to postpone the three BOV Winter League matches, Mar-sascala vs San Ġiljan, Sliema vs Neptunes and Exiles vs Sirens, due to have been played yesterday.
The ASA said that the pool had to be closed due to large quantities of sand in the water and a thick layer that deposited at the bottom of the pool after the storm. The dates when postponed matches will be played will be announced shortly, the ASA said.
The KMS Fitness Centre, the sports hall and the squash courts at Tal-Qroqq were not affected though and yesterday catered for patrons as usual.
Meanwhile, the Malta Racing Club had to work round the clock yesterday to make the venue safe for horses and spectators ahead of this afternoon’s meeting.
The forceful winds damaged parts of the canopy at the main stand and also damaged billboards around the track in Marsa.
However, informed sources told The Sunday Times that repairs were carried out without a hitch and the racing programme should go ahead, weather permitting.
Elsewhere, at the basketball pavilion, a women’s league match between Starlites and Depiro had to be stopped at half-time late Friday.
The venue in Ta’ Qali did not suffer any structural damage but the damp weather made play impossible as club officials agreed not to continue to avoid their players sustaining injuries on a slippery surface.