The University of Malta Rowing Club (UM Rowing Club) organized the first ever SEA-EU Beach Sprints Challenge at Mellieħa Bay today. This event, supported by Visit Malta, University of Malta, RIDT, Garmin Malta and Team Sport, saw a competitive Beach
Sprint coastal rowing competition across 2 categories, with over 20 athletes from four different European universities.
Coastal Rowing is a new sport in Malta, with the UM Rowing Club being the first club on the Maltese island to invest in infrastructure and training to use the beautiful scenery within our Maltese islands. In a comment to this portal, President Rebekah Caruana said: “Malta’s coastal landscape serves as a brilliant environment for coastal rowing. The club sought to invest in an Indoor Rowing Gym in 2019, brought the first coastal rowing boats in 2020, two more boats this year and is looking at developing Malta as a touristic niche for coastal rowing. This year, although with many challenges due to covid pandemic, the club attracted a number of student athletes from three coastal universities, the Université de Bretagne Occidentale in Brest, University of Gdańsk and the University of Split. UM Rowing Club organised a training camp and beach competition to add value in promoting Malta as a sports destination”.
She continued that the club is a pioneer in Coastal Rowing in Malta and recognizes that the club offers and promotes an alternative sport accessible to students, alumni and staff. The Club supports 20 rowers who train weekly, and offers rowing classes both indoor and outdoor.
This year the Club purchased two new single seater coastal boats (C1X), “Arvid and Irene”, which now increases the club’s fleet of C1X boats to four. This was made possible through the Sports Malta Technical Equipment Grant and KSU Sports Fund.
Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima stated that these types of investments form an essential part of academia and student life. This collaboration between these 4 European universities shows Maltese students’ potential to showcase their skills on an international level. He added that the Government will keep on assisting all youths and students. In it’s statement the Club mentioned that these boats are named in memory of Arvid Pardo, a Maltese diplomat and scholar known as the “Father of the Sea Conference” and Irene Condachi, one of the founders of the school medical service and one of only two female
doctors operating in Malta during World War Two.
Through the continuous support from IPES at the University of Malta, Sports Malta and Ghaqda Regatta Nazzjonali u Qdif Iehor, the club recognizes the challenges students face to participate in sports while also studying. The indoor rowing gym which is located at the University of Malta Msida Campus, aims to mitigate this problem by offering a safe space where everyone is welcome regardless of their abilities.
