Last weekend saw two local Scooter Athletes compete for the first time in an international event that took place in Barcelona between the 24th and 26th of September. The Urban World series is a street sport festival which include sports such as BMX, Skateboarding, Scooter, 3×3 basket which many have become Olympic Sports in recent years. Daniel Grech and Shaun Alfala took part in the official world scooter championship, where all the best scooter athletes from around the world competed. Being their first competition abroad, they did not qualify among the top to proceed further in the competition. However, this experience was an eyeopener and will enhance further their development both as a person and an athlete. We would like to also say a big thank you to Skate Malta Federation for making this possible.
This was also the first international competition the Malta Street Sport Association participated in under the Skate Malta Federation. More competitions are in the pipeline as events resume after the Covid19 pandemic. This event was also another reminder of how much the level of street sport needs to improve through better facilities in our Skateparks here in Malta. All local skateparks are not of an international standard as these are not built by professional skatepark contractors. The right design and quality cannot be achieved by conventional construction builders or sport enthusiasts. Therefore, the association is currently advocating for more investments in professional street sport facilities to increase the selection of available sports. Wider selection of sports will engage more young people in physical activity as they will have more options to choose from to develop their passion and personality. It is evident that focussing on traditional sport is resulting in the exclusion of young people who do not fit in the currently available selection of organised sport. This is also a little glimps of what we have in mind to organise when we can organise the Street Idols street sport festival, which should soon be in the making! so stay tuned.
Fi tmiem il-ġimgħa li għaddiet żewġ Atleti tal iskuter Maltin ikkompetew għall-ewwel darba f’avveniment internazzjonali li seħħ f’Barċellona bejn l-24 u s-26 ta’ Settembru. Is-serje Urban World hija festival tal-streetsport li jinkludi sport bħal BMX, Skateboarding, Scooter, basket 3×3, li uhud minnhom saru Sports Olimpiku f’dawn l-aħħar snin. Daniel Grech u Shaun Alfala ħadu sehem fil-kampjonat uffiċjali dinji tal-iskuter, fejn ikkompetew l-aqwa atleti kollha tal-iskuter minn madwar id-dinja. Peress li kienet l-ewwel kompetizzjoni tagħhom barra l-pajjiż, huma ma kkwalifikawx fost il-quċċata biex jipproċedu aktar fil-kompetizzjoni. Madankollu, din l-esperjenza kienet ta valur ghall-iżvilupp tagħhom kemm bħala persuna kif ukoll bħala atleta.
Din kienet ukoll l-ewwel kompetizzjoni internazzjonali li pparteċipat fiha l- Malta Street Sport Associate that l umbrella tal Malta Skate Federation. Aktar kompetizzjonijiet huma pjanati hekk kif jerġgħu jibdew l-avvenimenti wara l-pandemija tal -Covid19. Dan l-avveniment fakkarna ukoll kemm il-livell ta’ l-istreetsport jeħtieġ li jittejjeb permezz ta’ faċilitajiet aħjar fl-Iskateparks tagħna hawn Malta. L-iskateparks lokali kollha mhumiex ta’ standard internazzjonali ghar raguni li dawn mhumiex mibnija minn kuntratturi professjonali li jispecjalizzaw bil bini ta skateparks. Id-disinn u l-kwalità t-tajba ma jistgħux jinkisbu minn bennejja tal-kostruzzjoni konvenzjonali jew dilettanti tal-isport. Għalhekk, l-assoċjazzjoni bħalissa qed jiprovaw iheggu aktar investimenti f’faċilitajiet professjonali ta ‘l-istreetsport biex tiżdied l-għażla ta’ l-isports disponibbli. Għażla usa ‘ta sports se tinvolvi iktar żgħażagħ f’attività fiżika peress li se jkollhom iktar għażliet minn fejn jagħżlu biex jiżviluppaw il-passjoni u l-personalità tagħhom. Huwa evidenti li investimenti biss fl-isport tradizzjonali qed jirriżulta fl-esklużjoni taz- żgħażagħ li ma jhossuhomx adattati ghal- għażla disponibbli ta sport li hawn bhalissa. Aktar informazzjoni dwar l-street sport tista ’tinstab fuq il-websajt tal-MSSA www.mssa.mt jew il-facebook / Instagram tagħhom: mssamalta