Referee and Sports Administrator

Joe Bajada was born in Sannat, Gozo. With a career spanning 45 years in sports, Joe Bajada served as football referee, match inspector, director during international tournaments, administrator, member of several sports boards, and he was even elected commissioner of the Malta Football Association .

Bajada published several books about Gozitam football and also the Annual Għaqda Kittieba Sports. For ten years he served as the chairman of the Gozitan Sports Board, and participated in many local and international sports seminars. Honoured several times as the GFA Official of the Year and he was given the golden pin from the Association Internationale De La Presse Sportiv – AIPS. For years Bajada was the Maltese Representative for the International Federation of the Football History and Statistics – IFFHS.

In 2014 Joe Bajada was appointed the General Secretary of the Maltese Cycling Federation and is became a delegate for the European Cycling Union and Union Cycliste Internationale. During 2016 Joe Bajada was appointed as Chairman of Referee Commission and also member of the New Football Federation Board.

Bajada was also member of the Local Council of Żebbuġ, Gozo and for four years he was Vice Mayor. In  2016 he was awarded ‘Ġieħ iż-Żebbuġ’.

In 2017 he was rewarded at the Sports Malta Awards 2016 with the Honour of being named the Best Gozitan Sportsman, granted to the best Gozitan athlete, administrator, or official.

In March 2017 Annual General Congress of the Union Europeenne de Cyclisme held in Brussels, Belguim, Joe Bajada, the Maltese Cycling Federation Secratary General and SportMalta coordinator for Gozo, was elected into an important role within this European Union. As officer he formed part of the 15 delegates that had the right to vote on behalf of the 50 European countries that are affiliated members at the Annual General Congress for International Cycling that took place in September 2017 in Bergen, Norway. In March 2021, Bajada was confirmed again as officer.

He married Salvina in 1979  and they have two daughters, Vivienne and Lourdes.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.

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