Petition Against Malta BMX With Over 300 Signatures Sent To Sport Minister
A petition seeking government intervention at the Malta BMX park in Pembroke was sent to Malta’s Sports Minister having been signed by 330 people.
The petition was organised and circulated through the collaborative efforts of the Malta Skateboarding Association, the Malta Street Sports Association, Move Malta, Elementi and Leap Squad. They collaborated on this petition in response to their communities’ shared frustrations with the current state of Malta BMX.
The Pembroke facility houses Malta’s only outdoor BMX track along with an outdoor and indoor skatepark – on leased public land.
The premises are used to host private events such as “a dog-show, motorcycle shows, car shows, whatever we see can be adapted to the indoor section” according to a member of the Malta BMX Executive Committee.
Events hosted at Malta BMX
Founder and President John Zammit proudly added: “We just had Malta’s Got Talent organised inside. We arrived at the semi-finals with the group.”
A representative of the Malta Skateboarding Association agreed that the facility was being used to cater to all sorts of events.
“The biggest issue is not that the premises being use for non-related sports events, but that the money being generated from these events is clearly not being reinvested in the facility. Riders and skaters have been told on several occasions that they can’t use the facilities during these events.”
“The funds made from these events unrelated to sports in the last few years would have been more than enough to invest back into upgrades and maintenance of the facility. This would have attracted and welcomed more members, but unfortunately this has never been done and this is why there needs to be a change.”
The Malta BMX Executive Committee disagreed with this assessment.
“Anyone who’s saying that this place isn’t functional is incorrect. We have BMX School, and we have the indoor. Grass cutting has to be done every week, but the weather has to permit. What’s important is the state of the tracks when we have events, when we have the races. When races are held, the track is in a totally different state.”
Ramps in both the indoor and outdoor parks show signs of wear and tear
They admitted they had “used the warehouse for other things” but insisted that “if it wasn’t for that we could not afford to run this place at all”.
“The government has issued a white paper instructing sport facilities to use their facilities – where they seem appropriate – for fundraising so they can be self-sufficient. We’re aligned with those things as well.”
The White Paper being referenced was released in 2016. It explained that due to a lack of available funding “sports organisations face a serious risk of shutting down” and that “the concept of commercialisation should be pursued in order to help sports organisations achieve the required growth”.
A member of the Malta BMX Executive Committee made this comparison.
“If there was a national pool, and they wanted to raise funds, there’s nothing to say they couldn’t do a gala around the pool.”
Petition organisers argued that this White Paper also stipulated that funds from such a gala would have to be reinvested in the pool’s facilities.
The petition which has now been sent to Sport Malta and the Malta Council For the Voluntary Sector is intended to “urge the government to step in to ensure a new committee is formed by the street sport community”.
Petition organisers believed that the annual membership fee – €100 down from €150 – is “purposely expensive to put off anyone wanting to become a member, as nobody will pay that amount of money to join a facility in that state”.
They added that discouraging people from becoming members insulates Malta BMX from community pressure to improve the facility.
The Malta BMX Executive Committee disagreed.
“Why would we do that? What benefit could there possibly be to us having less members? We want to attract new members.”
“Development is always on the agenda. The track is constantly being developed. We need government funding, and we need to plan activities so we can be self-sufficient.”
Fake turf has been added over the racetrack. Petition organisers argue that as a result the whole purpose of a racetrack has been compromised as it is not only dangerous but also slows riders down.
“The surface of a BMX racetrack should be hard and consist of either compacted material like soil or a layer of asphalt, not fake turf.”
The Malta BMX Executive Committee argued against another point of contention in the petition.
“This is a BMX track, not a skateboard track. We always try to accommodate people. You need the right equipment, and though everyone who’s ever wanted to skate here has had a great time, our contract with the government is to run a BMX Association for track racing and park competitions.”
According to Times of Malta reporting from 2013, founder and President John Zammit had said that premises would cater to local BMX, skateboard and rollerblade athletes.
The petition being circulated asserts that the facility should still be pursuing this goal.
“The Malta BMX Association is not operating at the best interest of the BMX community – including all other action sports like skateboarding and scooter.”
The Malta Street Sports Association was founded based on these principles. “The aim was to bring all BMX, skateboarding, scooter, parkour, hip hop and breaking, all the street sports together”.
According to an MSSA representative, the petition came about from a community’s vision to “create a paradise”.
“It’s such a big space and we’re such a small country. You could build two skateparks in the indoor alone, as it was supposed to be. Apart from that on the side entrance you can build parkour facilities, use flat ground for hip hop, build a basketball court to accommodate more physical activity. That’s our vision, it shouldn’t be used just for BMX or skateboarding. We want to attract as many athletes and youths together to create a strong and healthy community.”
There are interpersonal dynamics meshed into this dispute. The MSSA was co-founded in 2019 by the former General Secretary of Malta BMX. He claims to have been ousted for being “a thorn in their behinds over there”.
“I was always trying to organise events, upgrade ramps, apply for funding but this was always met with hesitation and lack of motivation to move forward with such ideas, this in result created a very bad relationship with John and his family. As they were reluctant to spend more money on the facility, as you can still see today.”
The MSSA co-founder believes that he was pushed out for trying to make changes that upper management did not want. He added that it is “against my heart” to take petitioning action against the organisation and Zammit – who taught him so much, “but the community is not happy with the current situation, and something has to be done”.
MSSA representatives added: “the facility does not accommodate high level progression in its dilapidated state. The organisations who represent this petition work very hard to encourage youths and athletes to live a healthy and active lifestyle which helps them stay away from bad habits”.
“If we had a facility that allows high level of progression, we can also show the youth and athletes the possibility of becoming professional in their sports. Both BMX and Skateboarding are in the Olympics now and we are working hard to make sure that we one day get there. To achieve this, we need better facilities.”
Despite there being five organisations who collaborated to put together and circulate the petition, the Malta BMX Association founder disputed the existence of this ‘community’ being represented.
“I have to be clear. Not they. It’s only one person.”
Members of the Executive Committee expressed their belief that this petition was the result of a “personal vendetta”.
“We have contacted our legal assistance and if this petition escalates a bit more, we’re going to have to sue for libel and harassment, because he is harassing our association, with baseless lies and bitterness.”
The MSSA co-founder acknowledged his pre-existing relationship with the Pembroke organisation.
“Even if I didn’t have any history with John – or even I wasn’t involved – our petition shows that the community has a problem with the place. My so called ‘personal vendetta’ is irrelevant.”
“I managed to open MSSA through experience at Malta BMX. We don’t want to ruin anyone’s life. All we want is the chance to go over there and become members at a reasonable price so that the community gets a say in how the place is run, and how its funds are used.”
One of the petition’s signatures came from Pembroke’s Deputy Mayor.
Omar Elaref Arab grew up in a national community of Malta BMX, skateboarding, and street sports enthusiasts.
He told Lovin Malta that “for years, Pembroke BMX Sports facilities have struggled with advancement and leadership”.
“I spent most of my childhood at Pembroke BMX, and although I’m not a pro, I’m part of the community. I don’t take my kids there anymore because it’s not family-friendly. It may be a location where I’d love having a drink and visiting some old acquaintances, but the Pembroke BMX is meant for sports and community socialising.”
The Deputy Mayor’s account emphasised that throughout previous years, President John Zammit had given everything to Malta BMX.
“John built almost everything by hand, including community amenities. He accepted us no matter our backgrounds, loved us as his own kids, and gave us lower middle-class kids home and shelter. Pembroke BMX was full of kids our age, and various events helped keep a lot of kids out of harm and vice-abuse.”
“It was not just a place for relaxation and sports for families, but a shelter for us who couldn’t afford much else. Extreme sports demand heavy equipment, which track fans built by hand. John taught us youngsters physical labour. John’s passion to the sport, kids, and community makes it hard to take the stand others and I are taking today.”
Although the Deputy Mayor explained that the facility had once catered excellently to the needs of its community, he also expressed that he was disappointed with the fact that those days were in the past.
“Over the previous decade, the number of attendants has reduced, causing the facilities to deteriorate. Health and safety are questionable, and it appears that the administration is turning to other money-making activities, some of which are a nuisance to residents and don’t reflect the facility’s principles.”
It is for government officials to decide whether it will seek to take action against the Malta BMX Association. The organisation may ultimately be operating legally according to its contract and the 2016 White Paper, and claims that “all documents are regularly vetted and scrutinised.”
Another issue that the 300 or so petition signatories may have is with opening times at Malta BMX – which are not regularly scheduled.
The founder explained that “as a voluntary group, we can’t stay here waiting like this. Most of our members who come here have our contact, our number, my number. I am ready to come and open anytime. But I’m not going to stay here waiting.”
Petition organisers argued that an inconsistent opening schedule makes the facility less easily available to foreign visitors, or locals without connection to the Malta BMX leadership.
The Malta BMX Association Executive Committee explained that along with repairs to the premise’s boundary fence, they “have a project being vetted by Sport Malta, for the instalment of LED lighting around the whole facility, including the indoor as well.”
Petition organisers MSSA, MSA, Elementi, Move and Leap Squad argued that improving the facility’s lighting systems would only make it easier to spot more important hazards – “ramps that clearly need repair and upgrading”.
Their petition laid out ambitious community appeals to regularise and upgrade the only facility in Malta with an outdoor and indoor action sports facility – upgrading it to “international standards”.
“That’s how facilities should be utilised, to the max. Our public spaces should be utilised to the max.”
Elaref Arab echoed a similar sentiment, directing a message to Malta BMX’s current leadership.
“I understand how something could feel yours after so much love, attention, and hard labour. The facility is a sports entity that requires constant growth, improvement and change. It’s a public space. One thing is for sure: lack of refreshed leadership hurts the sport and the community. John has earned the respect to step aside and let the new generation start a new era for them and our children.”
He added his hope for Malta BMX – as a person who was formerly involved in its construction and upkeep – that the facility would improve over coming years.
“The best scenario would be for the current leadership team to step down with integrity, give a proper handover, and allow the President to enjoy the respect he deserves while seeing the facility he built with so much hard work, tears, and dedication get some much-needed refreshment, improvement, and upkeep.”
Over the coming weeks, it will become clearer where government support on this issue will fall.
Petition organisers Malta Skateboarding Association, the Malta Street Sports Association, Move Malta, Elementi and Leap Squad issued this final statement.
“Our petition shows that there are over 300 people who want to go to this place, but the place is not welcoming. We need a change over here. We’re ready to become members and be part of that change.”
What are your hopes for Malta BMX?
READ NEXT: 'You're Going Straight To Step Three': Adrian Delia Calls Out Prime Minister For Suggesting Hospitals Could Be Privatised Again
