Malta Paralympic Committee nominations
The Malta Paralympic Committee (MPC) hereby announces that, as at the time of closing of the nominations period, it has received one nomination for the two top administrative roles of MPC, namely the nomination of Prof. Joseph N. Grima for the role of President and Dr Julian Bajada for the role of Secretary General.
This means that the abovementioned positions will be uncontested at the forthcoming annual general meeting of the Malta Paralympic Committee, to be held on Monday 3rd January 2022. The Committee notes that the nominations received augurs well for continuity of the Committee’s strategic development, with Prof. Joseph Grima and Dr Julian Bajada each having served as President and Secretary General respectively in the previous term.
Whilst congratulating the nominated individuals, the Committee wishes to extend its gratitude to the members of the Executive Committee who served during the 2018-2021 period, being the first elected Executive Committee to have been formed following the formal re-establishment of the Malta Paralympic Committee in 2018.
Professor Grima, a science academic with a sports background in rowing, thanked the national
associations who supported his nomination. “I look forward to continue working with our National Associations, and other national and international sports bodies, for the benefit of athletes with eligible impairments, including physical, visual and/or intellectual, present and future. Malta can be a showcase to the world that our people truly believe in the fundamental right that everyone in our society has the right to excel in whatever she/he aspires to do, and works hard for, even excellence in sports. I feel truly honoured and overwhelmed to be given the opportunity to continue developing this most important sport sector which is so close to heart.”
On his part, Dr Julian Bajada, a lawyer and active Para athlete himself, who was also appointed as the Chef de Mission for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, expressed his satisfaction at the progress made in the local Para sport scene, noting that “the greatest satisfaction that this role brings about is working tirelessly to empower Para athletes to pursue their sporting ambitions and changing the perceptions about disability and sport”. Acknowledging that a lot of work remains to be done, Dr Bajada is positive that “our culture is (finally) shifting. Through various initiatives undertaken, the local Para sport scene is steadily transforming, observing that there is now a significantly better understanding of Paralympic sport, the challenges entailed and the opportunities the Paralympic Movement has to offer.”
The Malta Paralympic Committee will be formally elected at the forthcoming AGM on the 3rd January 2022 and will serve for a term of 3 years, spanning the 2022-2024 Paralympic cycle, which will come to a close at the year-end in 2024, following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.