Sports organisations signed land deals in election run-up

Memorandums of understanding and contracts on the transfer of public land were signed with 11 sports organisations in the run-up to the last general election, one of them as late on the ‘day of reflection’, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt. However, three of these organisations are finding it difficult to put the land to good use and are in talks with the Government on the way forward. A report seen by this newspaper shows these agreements were signed in February and March, granting sports organisations stretches of public land administered by the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport. The Malta Rugby Football Union was granted a large stretch in Għajn Dwieli to build a new rugby stadium. The agreement had been signed in February during an event attended by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sports Clyde Puli. A spokesman for the new Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth and Sports said the rugby organisation was in talks with the Government because the site they were granted in the valley close to the Three Cities does not seem suitable for a rugby pitch. The rugby organisation, which is to be given €500,000 for the development of the site, has...