Sport and community come together in an activity that commemorated the European Week of Sport
A wide range of sporting activities brought together people of all ages at the Kirkop Sports Complex
The Kirkop Sports Complex last night brought together children, youth, adults and the elderly for an evening of sport, physical activity and entertainment, as part of the main national event of the European Week of Sport 2026.
The event, organised by SportMalta, gave the public the opportunity to take part in and discover a wide range of sporting disciplines. Activities included athletics, basketball, frame football, gymnastics, golf, bocce, softball, badminton, tennis, pickleball, kickboxing, handball, water polo, judo, karate, taekwondo and line dancing. Later during the #BeActive Night, other activities continued including weightlifting, abseiling, rowing, rugby, skateboarding, table tennis, Hyrox, while presentations were made to students who participated in the Let’s Move Malta Summer Programme.
Minister for Education and Sport Byron Camilleri, who attended the event, said that the variety of disciplines and the participation of people of different ages put into practice the message of the European Week of Sport – that everyone can find their own way to be more active.
“Sport has a wonderful capacity to unite people. Tonight we saw children, young people, adults, the elderly and families come together through different disciplines, but with one thing in common: being active. This is precisely the value of sport. It is not just a competition or a result, but it is also community, friendship and a sense of belonging. At the same time, being active is a direct investment in our health and in the quality of our lives, both physically and mentally. Therefore, our message must go beyond this week. We must continue to create more opportunities so that everyone, regardless of their age or ability, finds their own way to be active and makes physical activity a natural part of their daily lives,” said Minister Camilleri.
Among those who took part in the activities was Kate Prasel Caruana, who used to practice judo and who attended along with her friends to practice this discipline again.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to practice judo again with my friends. We did various exercises and had a lot of fun together. Judo is a sport that I have always loved and I encourage more children to try it, because apart from learning a sporting discipline, they can have fun and make new friends,” said Prasel Caruana.
The activity also demonstrated how sport and movement can remain a part of life at any age. John Spiteri, a dance teacher, explained how SportMalta initiatives are providing opportunities for people over 60 to stay active, while meeting and socialising with others.
“Through sports complexes and initiatives like these, SportMalta is creating important opportunities for people over 60 to stay active and at the same time be part of a community. Line dancing, ballroom dancing and sequence dancing not only keep them physically active, but also give them a space where they can meet others, socialize and have fun together,” said Spiteri.
There was also a strong turnout at Hyrox, where the format was adapted for the occasion to be held over half the usual distance, with the aim of allowing more people to try this discipline. The competition included a category for children between 7 and 15 years of age and another for participants from 16 years of age and above. More than 70 adults and 60 children took part.
“We wanted to give more people the chance to experience Hyrox, so we adapted the format to half the usual distance. We had a great turnout from both children and adults. Activities like these give those who may have never tried this discipline an opportunity to take the first step, try it out and discover a new way to stay active,” said Hyrox coach Julian Briffa.
With the theme #BeActiveYourWay, this year’s campaign conveys the message that there is no one way to be active. The aim is for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to find an activity that encourages them to move more and make physical activity a more regular part of their lives.
The European Week of Sport is taking place between 23 and 30 September. This is the eleventh year of the campaign since it was launched in 2015, and has since reached over 118 million participants through more than 433,000 activities in 42 countries.
In Malta, several local councils and sports associations are also taking part this year, while swimmer Sasha Gatt and judoka Katryna Esposito are the ambassadors of the European Week of Sport 2026.
Photo: DOI/MES
