This year marks the first year that Malta will be sending two Paralympians for the first time since 1980. Bajada revealed that Borg will be taking part in the male ‘T47’ para-athletics category in the 100m and 400m sprint track event.

Meanwhile, Kravchenko, who also represented Malta in the 2016 Paralympics, will be competing in the female ‘S5’ para-swimming category in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly respectively.

Misconceptions of the Paralympics

Asked about the misconceptions that surround the Paralympics, Bajada stated that while the list is plentiful, there tend to be three main ones at a local level.

One of the most common misconceptions is the difference between the Paralympics and the Special Olympics. The latter is focused “on athletes with an intellectual disability” such as down syndrome or autism while the Paralympics is for athletes with physical impairments.

“The second most common misconception is that para-athletes fall down in two buckets – amputees or wheelchair uses. This is not the case,” Bajada highlighted.

On the contrary, he explained that it covers a wide range of physical impairments including the visually impaired or even those with cerebral palsy or who have short stature (dwarfism).

“Finally, many are still ‘afraid’ of the perceived dangers of an individual with physical impairments being involved in para-sport. Again, this myth should be busted”, he said.

“Para-sport benefits individuals with physical impairments, strengthening them physically but also psychologically and socially.”

What about misconceptions for Para-Athletes?

“The majority perceive a para-athlete as some sort of race of their own – superhumans with superhuman strength that came out of some comic book”, Bajada noted.

Yet, he emphasised the importance of realising that Para-Athletes were just like anyone else. He noted that it was especially important given that “many para-athletes are still overlooked”.

“What makes them stand out is that [they are] being forced to adapt, they are apt at thinking outside the box and doing things differently”.

“These natural characteristics drive the willpower and perseverance of Para-Athletes who use the power of mindset to overcome their physical impairments.”

“Anyone with a physical impairment should feel empowered to practise a Paralympic sport”, he stated, highlighting a second reality check that he believes is crucial for people to realise.

In Malta, Bajada explained that there is no clear policy and implemented action plan on the development of Para-Sport “despite the continuous efforts of the Malta Paralympic Committee to see such come to light”.

Yet, there are promising signs. From “only a handful” of active Para-Athletes, the Committee now boasts “an encouraging number of Para-Athletes across a more diversified range of Para-Sports” from swimming, athletics, judo and beyond.

Challenges of Paralympics in a pandemic

Organising anything within a pandemic is very difficult. Yet, a large-scale event like the Paralympics is even harder when you have delegations from all over the world scheduled to attend.

Bajada explained that “the biggest challenge was faced by the prospective Paralympians themselves in staying focused and remaining steadfast in their preparation in these unprecedented circumstances”.

In fact, the main concern was “the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and its impact on the ability to train ‘normally’ due to sports facilities closures and bans on training which were imposed more than once in the onset of the pandemic”.

“In essence, we all had several sleepless nights with the constantly evolving situation and it was crucial to support out Para-Athletes in the build-up.”

Malta in the Paralympic Games

Malta has been a participant in the Paralympic Games since its inaugural games in Rome, 1960. There, Malta sent four competitors who each won a medal: two silver and two bronze.

We continued participating in every edition of the Summer Paralympics (except 1976) until 1984. The country then took a hiatus before returning in 2008. Malta has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics

When asked what it would take for Malta to send more Para-Athletes to the games going forwards, Bajada noted that “ultimately, a more structured approach, with suitable funding and resources, is key to empowering the competitive para-athletes of tomorrow, today”.

He stated his belief that like any other athlete, “para-athletes must be supported from a very early stage so as to progress from the ‘train-to-train’ phase to the ‘train-to-compete- and all the way to the ‘train-to-win’ cycles of the journey”.

It also comes down to a matter of understanding how categories are selected and how para-athletes qualify for a category.

“The concept of ‘classification’ in Paralympic Sport is probably the most complex and yet the simplest concept”, Bajada explained.

“The idea is to ‘classify’ para-athletes according to the type and degree of their physical impairment so that para-athletes with the same or broadly similar physical impairment fall within the same classification.”

He went on to note that “this is what ‘classification’ is also about – creating a fair and level playing field in competitive Paralympic Sport so that para-athletes compete on their sporting performance and prowess”.

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