Prof. Joseph N Grima has been elected President of the newly formed Malta Paralympic Committee. Entrusted with the development of para sports for athletes with physical impairments, the MPC will be operating within the auspices of the International Paralympic Committee and is analogous in structure to the Maltese Olympic Committee.
Its immediate target is to ensure that Malta sends a strong team of para athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and to create a sustainable and professional support framework so that athletes with physical impairments can practice and compete in various sports at both national and international level.
Its immediate target is to ensure that Malta sends a strong team of para athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and to create a sustainable and professional support framework so that athletes with physical impairments can practice and compete in various sports at both national and international level.
Professor Grima, emphatically underscored the Executive Committee’s desire to leave a mark on Paralympic Sports in Malta, saying that, 'today marks the very first step in a long journey that will show us all that athletes with physical impairments know no limits'. Grima went on to state that, 'we are committed to work with National Associations, para-athletes and their coaches to show that Para Sports is back on the agenda, for good. We must move from inclusion on paper to inclusion in action. At the end of the day, this will be the yardstick by which we would like you to measure our success.'
The first elected Executive Committee of the Malta Paralympic Committee, composed of Prof. Joseph N. Grima (President), Dr Julian Bajada (Secretary General), Mr Nello Calleja (Treasurer), Ms Vladyslava Kravchenko (Athletes’ Representative), and the following executive members, Mr Simon Zammit, Mr George Vella, Mr Joseph Bajada and Mrs Carmen Borg, was unanimously approved by all the Maltese sports national associations present at the inaugural AGM held last Friday 6 July 2018, and includes athletes, coaches, referees, parents, sports enthusiasts and persons with experience in sports administration.
The AGM was followed by the official launch of the MPC, which saw various stakeholders addressing those present, including: Ms. Elissavet Abdelnour (representing the International Paralympic Committee), Mr Oliver Scicluna (Chairperson of the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, CRPD), the Hon. Ing. Ryan Callus (Opposition Spokesperson for Youth and Sport), and the Hon. Dr Clifton Grima (Parliamentary Secretary for Youths, Sports and Voluntary Organisations).
The newly elected Malta Paralympic Committee members gratefully acknowledged and thanked the visionaries who made this initiative possible, in particular, CRPD, Sport Malta, the members of the Ad-Hoc Committee, and the various national sports associations and federations who will be at the centre of the MPC’s work. The MPC also thanked Mr Nathan Farrugia who coordinated Malta’s Paralympic set-up before this present structure was formally established.
The elected executive members reiterated that they are adamant to work tirelessly for the benefit of the thousands of individuals with physical impairments and to establish an open and collaborative relationship with all stakeholders who share their vision of full inclusion in sports.
The newly elected Malta Paralympic Committee members gratefully acknowledged and thanked the visionaries who made this initiative possible, in particular, CRPD, Sport Malta, the members of the Ad-Hoc Committee, and the various national sports associations and federations who will be at the centre of the MPC’s work. The MPC also thanked Mr Nathan Farrugia who coordinated Malta’s Paralympic set-up before this present structure was formally established.
The elected executive members reiterated that they are adamant to work tirelessly for the benefit of the thousands of individuals with physical impairments and to establish an open and collaborative relationship with all stakeholders who share their vision of full inclusion in sports.
