The Economics of sport

In an article headed "Sports legislation in Euro countries" (Friday, February 6) but which was really practically all about the financing of sport in Europe, Pierre Cassar ended up by saying that "The Institute for Physical Education and Sport at the University of Malta should encourage postgraduate students to engage in such studies to enable legislators and administrators to draw parallels with other European countries."

Mr Cassar seems unaware that for the past three academic years, the Physical Education Programme of the Faculty of Education in the University of Malta, and the IPES since its inception, have been offering Course No. MSY 3039 The Economics of Sport, researched and delivered by yours truly.

Within the overall Sports Management module in which my colleague Andrew Decelis also teaches, this course is structured to include lectures on the application of basic economic concepts to the sports industry, organisational financing, valuation of sportsmen, sociology of sports, and several other areas.

The course, so far optional but soon to become an obligatory core subject, has also been attended by students from other faculties besides education.

Some interesting assignments are always submitted by students on this course, and it is therefore clear that the exercise which Mr Cassar recommends that the University does in this direction is, in fact, already being done.