Parliamentary Secretary for Youth & Sport meets MFA President

Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport Clyde Puli received a courtesy visit by new MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo.

Darmanin Demajo presented his programme of work for the association for the coming three years, highlighting aspects where there could be more co-operation between the Government and the Malta Football Association. Darmanin Demajo explained that one of his objectives is that each club has adequate training facilities. He also mentioned training for sports administrators which would lead to more professionalism in sport.

Clyde Puli pledged the government’s support and augured that the two parties work together in order to modernise the administrative aspect of sport and sport in general.

The Parliamentary Secretary stressed that the government has been helping football in several ways. This includes a subsidy amounting to €754,771.90, for the renting of grounds – an increase of €150,000 over two years ago. Thirty-four clubs are benefitting from this scheme.

The Government is supporting 51 clubs and football in general with the amount of €263,383.68 to upgrade or maintain facilities, to cover expenses for doping tests, the use of facilities of the Kunsill Malti g?all-Isport and for the acquisition of equipment.

In order to sustain a sporting culture in Malta, the government was also giving fiscal incentives to parents whose children attend a nursery.

Thanks to an initiative by the Sport Promotion Unit within the Kunsill Malti g?all-iSport and the Malta Football Association, a futsal festival for around 1,500 school children was organised.

Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport Clyde Puli congratulated Norman Darmanin Demajo for his election and thanked former MFA President Dr Joe Mifsud for his contribution towards the association and football in general.

Also present were Malta Football Association vice-presidents Carmelo Bartolo, Alex Manfre and Ludovico Micallef, treasurer Antoine Portelli and Bjorn Vasallo and top officials from the Kunsill Malti g?all-iSport including chairman Bernard Vassallo and chief executive officer Joe Cassar.