Ministers Ian Borg, Silvio Schembri, Julia Farrugia Portelli and Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima visited the Rabat football ground in Mtarfa where an agreement was signed so that Rabat Ajax FC and Mtarfa FC will have their respective football grounds.
The purpose of this agreement is for the Public Works Department, within the remit of the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, to carry out the necessary works on these sports facilities, which include a football stadium, a 5-a-side pitch and a track used for many different sports.
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg said, “Through this agreement we will continue to push the importance of sport and physical activity and therefore the benefit that comes from the development of such sports facilities that will be offering an environment with the best possible safety and quality. This is possible through the Public Works Department’s ongoing work, also throughout our country, by providing their service in order to create new open spaces and many other projects with the aim of improving the quality of everyone’s life.”
Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri said that as Minister responsible for the Land Authority, he gave direction to Chief Executive Mr. Robert Vella and the discussions started so that this project will now move to an implementation phase. He added that he will ensure that on an administrative level he will see to it that the football clubs of Rabat and Mtarfa do not suffer any further loss of time and will see that in the future this project is implemented.
Minister for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing Julia Farrugia Portelli described this project as one that builds on the solid foundations on which the government is investing in sports. In the coming days, the Maltese government will launch another multi-million euro project to ensure that the infrastructure in football is further strengthened. She explained that in view of the major investment in Mtarfa and awaiting the completion of this new stadium, the Ministry for Inclusion will see to it that all groups within Mtarfa FC are able to continue their training in alternative places, at a cost of €70,000 per year which will be fully covered by the Ministry.
Minister Farrugia Portelli explained how different studies show that sport is an integral part of quality of life, with many researches confirming that sport is the main factor that maintains that balance in both physical and mental health. This is a project that will be one of the main pillars of this Ministry where we want to see that every individual, every family, invests enough of their time for their well-being.
Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima explained how with this transfer Mtarfa FC will have a decent space where they can train their athletes. He went on to say that the government’s commitment is to continue to fulfill its electoral sports promises. He stated that this government wants to foster and strengthen the sports culture from an early age.
“As a government, we are aware that to do this we need to invest in sports facilities and in the associations themselves, and that is what we are doing today. We believe we must provide the facilities and assistance so that sports clubs can continue to grow and improve their services. After all, it is our children who will benefit from this. This government is committed to continue investing so that together we can make the next leap in quality. We want every sport to be given the opportunity to flourish,” said the Parliamentary Secretary.