Basketball Association

Frank Camilleri

In recent years the game of basketball increased its popularity and is now the biggest indoor team sport on the Island. The Malta Basketball Association is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that as much as possible young children know the game. The results achieved in the last years makes the base of the pyramid wider than ever. This success is also due to the brilliant results obtained by the National teams of the MBA in the last three years.

Mr. Leonard Falzon heads the Basketball Promotion Unit. This unit was established three years ago. The unit gives the first idea of basketball to schoolchildren aging seven to nine years. Primary school children are invited to attend for a basketball experience at Ta’ Qali every week. More than two hundred and fifty children visits Ta’ Qali every week. Mr. Falzon conducts fun games and exercises with a basketball touch. For the next four months the unit has added and extremely big asset. Ms. Trudy Hopgood was brought over to Malta from Australia by the Malta Olympic Committee. She is in Malta as part of the programme of assistance by the Australian Government on the occasion of the Commonwealth Games to be held next month in Melbourne.

The MBA organise twenty-five festivals every year. Clubs and schools participate every week in the Under 9 mixed, Under 11 boys and girls and under 13 boys and girls festivals. These festivals are played every Saturday morning were children under 9 and under 11 are introduced to the game playing 3 v 3. At under 13 level children start tasting the first full game situation (5 v 5).

An important addition to this hub of activity is Skolasport. National coach Bruno Di Pietrantonio is attending at Marsa and together with two other coaches they are making the children to experience more the game of basketball. This success led to the introduction of the second mid week training session this time at Ta’ Qali.

Middle Sea Insurance & Eurosport Basketball Academy started last year. The first to join were the under 15 boys and girls national teams preparing for the FIBA Promotion Cups. To combine the work by the Basketball Promotion Unit and the Academy, Ms. Hopgood will in the next months visit secondary schools to identify young potential players to join the academy.

Basketball is fun. Anyone wishing to join or have more information can contact the MBA on mba@maltanet.net

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