Malta needs an ice-rink

A year ago, 13-year-old Therese Cassar started a course in figure skating at the only ice-rink we had in Malta. They started off being only nine students but within six months there were already 25 students learning this sport.

Competitions also started to be organised and this made it all the more interesting. Therese always looked forward to the lessons, feeling eager to learn new figures on ice.

By last June Therese had learnt many new figures and her Russian coach, Olga Alexeeva, combined them into a display dance on the ice. The coach was very satisfied with her progress, especially considering that Therese had not been able to start this sport at an earlier age like girls in other countries.

Foreign skaters and spectators often asked her whether she was a professional figure-skater and this made her more eager to advance in this sport.

After winning two competitions and doing her display dance in front of many spectators, Therese's coach also started to prepare her to compete internationally.

All her hopes unfortunately ended very abruptly with the sudden closure of the only ice-rink in Malta. Therese's dreams of once being able to represent our country in this sport were all shattered.

Over a month has passed since this happened but for Therese this was like an eternity. She keeps hoping every day to hear something about a new ice-rink opening in Malta.

She hopes that, as happens in other European countries, our government can help, possibly together with private investors, to be able to have a national ice-rink in Malta. In this way, we will be able to promote winter sports like figure skating and ice hockey on our island.