Sport, or as some would describe it, organised physical activity, has been an integral and significant part of society for as far back as written history and most definitely before too. Just consider the original Olympic Games are more than 2,700 years old.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has put to the forefront the reality of where sports stands in the eyes of the Maltese authorities and the perceived role this industry plays in our society.
Local practitioners in this field were not amused, in fact they were disheartened. Although nobody would have expected to have all levels of sport to continue being practised, elite sport should have been allowed to proceed, especially as the data presented to us by the government authorities clearly indicated that in this subgroup, COVID-19 transmission was not at a higher risk level than among the public. This was mainly as a direct result of the actions of the sport organisations that ensured that the rigorous precautions recommended by SportMalta and Public Health were implemented and followed, and this was supplemented by the reality that the athletes themselves took the necessary safeguards in their everyday life.
In other countries, sport and physical activity are an essential and meaningful part of society that drives every other facet of modern life. In fact, the European Union believes that sport plays a vital role, not only in individual health and fitness, but in shaping our wider European society.
A crucial step is the actual creation of a Ministry for Sport and its metamorphosis into a government entity aiming to stimulate an essentially lazy nation into physical activity
The EU sport policy is filled with buzzwords such as mental health, obesity, inclusion, integration, racism and gender equality, words that have been bombarding local media for the past few years, and yet when the moment of truth came, the reality of sport’s societal role, as perceived by the Maltese authorities, was exposed.
The sport industry in Malta is considered non-essential; far behind in the pecking order. This is wrong at so many levels, health wise (exercise is actually very effective in protecting against the worst of COVID-19), economically, and in the most base reality, just plain disrespectful.
In December 2020, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution on ‘Sport as an enabler of sustainable development’, which called on member states to include sport and physical activity in post-COVID-19 recovery plans.
In the words of secretary-general António Guterres: “Sport has often helped to create spaces for dialogue, advance gender equality, promote social inclusion and tackle discrimination against vulnerable groups. It has played this role at all levels of society, from the smallest communities to the global village. It has provided avenues for improving individual health and community well-being. We continue to count on sport to provide this space.”
A few weeks ago, the world celebrated the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) took the opportunity to underline the paramount role that sport plays in supporting global recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
IOC president Thomas Bach actually stated that “this crisis has made it clearer than ever that sport is the low-cost, high-impact tool par excellence for all countries in their recovery efforts”.
Where does this all leave us members of the sporting and fitness industry in Malta? What is the way forward?
It is important for all stakeholders to view our current scenario as an opportunity to consider the role of the sport and physical activity sector amid our society. We all know that being physically active is an integral component of one’s health, both physical and mental. But there is more to this. Physical activity is an integral component of what constitutes a healthy society. It must be weaved into the various strata of our life.
Throwing money at this problem is not the solution. Of course it helps, but if we are to ingrain sports and physical activity into the Maltese DNA, we need to do more, much more.
A crucial step is the actual creation of a Ministry for Sport and its metamorphosis into a government entity aiming to stimulate an essentially lazy nation into physical activity; not solely to foster organised activities but also to achieve generational targets rather than just short-term results. We can learn much from countries like Iceland. It is a slow growing progress and we will falter here and there, but with firm goalposts in place, time will see a clear gradual progress in all gauging parameters.
The Maltese government’s document ‘Aiming Higher’, published a few years ago, presented an overview of the national strategy for sport and physical activity in Malta and had a very catchy vision statement − ‘sport and physical activity as a way of life’. Unfortunately, notwithstanding the efforts and goodwill of those involved in this strategy, we are faced with the stark reality that right now, sport and physical activity are not considered as a way of life but rather as a hobby.
I see the current scenario as presenting an opportunity for all. Maybe an apt metaphor would be for the government to grab the bull by the horns by ruthlessly reviewing the results of its sport and physical activity policies with a view to modifying as necessary to achieve new objectives planned out on new time frames. We are still in time to save this important and vital industry.
Kirill Micallef Stafrace is a sport and exercise medicine consultant.