Government to hand €2.5m over 4 years to MOC for athletes’ preparation MOC planning bid to stage 2023 Games for European Small States

The government, through the Parliamentary Secretariat for Sport, will be hand a global sum of €2.5million in technical assistance to the Malta Olympic Committee spread over the forthcoming four years.

And agreement has been signed earlier this week between SportMalta and the Malta Olympic Committee.

Chris Agius, the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, described the agreement as historic. He said: “The financial grant will enable the MOC to plan better for their international commitments over the next four years.

“The money being pledged in this agreement is the highest ever devoted to sport. It’s historic,” Agius said.

Agius said the grant will help the MOC prepare its athletes much better ahead of their partic- ipation in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2019 and 2021 Games of the European Small States and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The €2.5 million does not include extra annual assistance for the Malta Olympic Committee to be used for young athletes who will represent the country in the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe, which could be staged locally.

Speaking on behalf of the MOC, Julian Pace Bonello, the president, revealed that Malta will be bidding to stage the Games for the European Small States here in 2023.

He added: “This agreement not only ensures that our athletes are well prepared for their international commitments, but also to make long-term plans, foremost among which will be the GSSE 2023 which we intend to host.”

The bid will be presented officially during the 2019 GSSE in Montenegro.

Pace Bonello thanked the authorities and Sport Malta in particular for their continued support.

From left, M. Cutajar and Dr L. Busuttil, of SportMalta, J. Pace Bonello and J. Cassar, of the MOC, during the signing of the agreement. Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius looks on