# Sport in Malta

Sports in Malta include association football, basketball, athletics, rugby, tennis, cycling, and others.

## Football

Association football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Malta. The national stadium is called Ta' Qali Stadium. The national football team has won several matches over big opponents that reached the final phases in World Cups, such as Belgium and Hungary. Recently a large number of football grounds have been built throughout the island. The top football league in Malta is called the Maltese Premier League, and consists of 14 teams. Futsal is also very popular.

## Watersports

Malta is a good place for surfing and offers a lot of different surf spots. During winter time most of the beaches transform into surfer hangouts.

## Waterpolo

Water polo is also very popular in Malta. The Malta men's national water polo team has achieved some great results against strong teams, and has competed in the Olympics twice. Maltese clubs participate in the European Club competitions organised by LEN, are seen as being in the top 10 water polo leagues in Europe.

## Boċċi

Boċċi is the Maltese version of the Italian game of bocce, French pétanque and British bowls. Other than certain differences in rules and the ground on which the game is played, one of the most obvious differences between Maltese boċċi and foreign equivalents is the shape of the bowls themselves which tend to be cylindrical rather than spherical in shape. Many small clubs (usually called Klabbs tal-Boċċi in Maltese) can be found in Maltese and Gozitan localities, and are usually well-frequented and are quite active on a local and European level. Even the emigrants to Canada, Australia, and The United States have taken the game with them and now forms an important part of their social scene.

## Hockey

Maltese National Hockey League is the official field hockey league in Malta, with just 4 teams participating in the National League.
The National Hockey Stadium is located in Paola, Kordin. It is the only location with regulation facilities available in the country.
The Malta National Hockey Team occasionally participates in international fixtures.

## Rugby

Rugby Union has been played in Malta since the beginning of the 20th century, with evidence of rugby pitches at RAF Ta' Qali Air Field in the 1920s and other fields in RAF Luqa Air Field. The Malta Rugby Football Union was formed in 1991. 5 clubs are established in Malta - Falcons, Kavallieri, Overseas, Stompers and Wolves. In October 2021 the national men's team was ranked 41st in the world. They have recently been achieving success, defeating teams including Sweden, Croatia and Latvia. In 2018, Malta achieved its largest win against Andorra, that of 89-3. As of 2016 Malta Rugby Union had 2,480 registered players.
Rugby league is also played in Malta, primarily due to return migration of Maltese Australians bringing it back with them. In July 2022, the national men's team was ranked 10th in the world. The national team are known as the Malta Knights, and boast players currently playing in the Super League in England such as Jarrod Sammut, Jake Mamo, the most famous player to come from Malta would be former South Sydney Rabbitohs, Mario Fenech. In 2016 Malta Rugby League had 285 players, with the large majority based in Australia.

## Motorsport

Motorsport includes drag racing represented by the Malta Drag Racing Association, with recent high ranking Maltese dragsters in official FIA European championships. There is also autocross (ASMK), hill climb (Island Car Club), motocross, karting and banger racing championships.

## Basketball

In 2020, Malta got its first-ever female head coach leading a men’s Division One basketball team. It was Silvia Gambino who started the position at Mellieħa S.C. Libertas.

## Volleyball

Malta has a first division for women's volleyball teams. The president of the national federation MVA has been Jesmond Saliba.

## Snooker

Malta also hosts a snooker round, the Malta Cup, which as of 2008 became a non-ranking event. In 2008 Malta's Tony Drago was a member of a victorious European Mosconi Cup team, which was played in Portomaso, Malta. Claudio Cassar was World Blackball Champion in 2014.

## Shooting

The most notable Maltese shooter is William Chetcuti, who won medals at the Commonwealth Games and Mediterranean Games, and ranked in the top 8 at the Olympic Games and ISSF World Championships.

## Boxing

Boxer Jeff Fenech is of Maltese descent. Recently contact sports such as Boxing and Kickboxing have become increasingly popular.

## Cricket

Malta are an affiliate member of the ICC & has full Twenty20 International status. Home games are played at Marsa. In 2020 there was a T20 summer domestic league consisting of 12 teams, and in 2019 a 50-over winter league which comprised 5 teams.
Along with other sports, tennis is a popular activity in Malta and Gozo. The islands offer a wide range of options for both beginners and elite players. Clubs are spread out across Malta and games are being played on a regular basis all year around.
There ,are over 1,200 rock climbing routes in Malta. The island offers a mixture of both trad climbing and sport climbing and also offers a good variety of bouldering and deep water soloing. The geography and small size of the island makes the climbing easily accessible. The sport is growing in popularity with local communities, as well as tourists and visitors.

## Multi-sport games

Malta debuted at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam 1928. No Maltese competitor has won an Olympic medal.
The country has claimed seven medals at the Paralympics, seven medals at the Commonwealth Games and nine at the Mediterranean Games

## List of sports teams in Malta

| Number | Locality | Football | Futsal | Waterpolo | Boċċi | Handball | Basketball | Rugby Union | Athletics | Regatta | Darts | Volleyball | Hockey |
| 1 | Valletta | Valletta F.C. Valletta St. Paul's Valletta Stars Rovers United | Valletta Futsal Club | Valletta United W.P.C. | St. Paul's Marsamxett | | | Valletta Lions (defunct) | | Marsamxett Valletta | | Valletta V.C. | |
| 2 | Mdina | Mdina Knights F.C. | Mdina Knights Futsal | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Attard | Attard F.C. | Attard Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Balzan | Balzan F.C. | Balzan Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | Balzan V.C. | |
| 5 | Vittoriosa | Vittoriosa Stars F.C. | | | | | | | | Birgu | | | |
| 6 | Birkirkara | Birkirkara F.C. Birkirkara St. Joseph Mrieħel Devon Fleur-de-Lys | Mrieħel ESS | | Birkirkara Boċċi Club | Aloysians H.C. | | Birkirkara Alligators (defunct) | Birkirkara St. Joseph | | | Aloysians V.C. Birkirkara V.C. Fleur-de-lys V.C. | |
| 7 | Birzebbugia | Birżebbuġa St. Peter's F.C. Birzebbugia Tigers | | Birzebbuga A.S.C. | Birżebbuġa | | | | | Birżebbuġa | Birżebbuġa St. Peter BC Birżebbuġa Cox | | |
| 8 | Cospicua | St. George's F.C. Cospicua Dynamos | St. George's Futsal | | Cospicua Boċċi Club | De La Salle H.C. | | | | Bormla | | | |
| 9 | Swieqi | Swieqi United F.C. | Swieqi United Futsal Swieqi United U-21 Futsal | | | Swieqi Phoenix H.C. | | Overseas RUFC | | | | Swieqi Phoenix V.C. | |
| 10 | Lija | Lija Athletic F.C. | | | Lija Boċċi Club | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Floriana | Floriana F.C. Floriana AFC | | | Klabb Boċċi Floriana | | Floriana Basketball Club | | | | Floriana Ajax Floriana Bocci Club | | Young Stars Hockey Club |
| 12 | Sliema | Sliema Wanderers F.C. | | Sliema ASC Exiles S.C. | | | | Stompers RFC | | | Sliema Inter DC | | Sliema Hotsticks Hockey Club |
| 13 | Gżira | Gżira United F.C. | | | | | Gżira Athleta | | | | | | |
| 14 | Paola | Hibernians F.C. Paola Kordin | Hibernians Futsal (defunct) Paola Downtown Futsal Club (defunct) | | | | Hibernians Basketball | | | | | | |
| 15 | St. Julian's | Melita F.C. | Melita Futsal (defunct) | San Giljan ASC Neptunes WPSC | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Senglea | Senglea Athletic F.C. | | | | | | | | Senglea | Senglea Conquest | | |
| 17 | Mosta | Mosta F.C. Mosta Vikings AFC Mosta Gunners | Mosta Futsal Club ZC Excess Futsal Club (defunct) (Bidnija) | | Mosta Boċċi Club | | | | | | Mosta Horseshoe | | |
| 18 | Naxxar | Naxxar Lions F.C. | Naxxar Motors Futsal (defunct) Naxxar Lions FC Futsal | | | | Starlites | | | | | | |
| 19 | Ħamrun | Ħamrun Spartans F.C. | Ħamrun Spartans Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | Ħamrun Education Ħamrun Bayern | | |
| 20 | St. Paul's Bay | Sirens F.C. | | Sirens ASC | | | | | | | Bugibba New Sun City Bugibba Whyte Harte | | |
| 21 | Qormi | Qormi F.C. Qormi Eagles | Qormi Futsal Club | | Qormi Boċċi Club St. Sebastian Boċċi Club | | | Kavallieri Rugby Football Club Qormi Wasps | | | Qormi Hockey | | Qormi Hockey Club |
| 22 | Rabat | Rabat Ajax F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | Rabat Hockey Club |
| 23 | Żebbuġ | Żebbuġ Rangers F.C. | | | Żebbuġ Boċċi Klabb | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | Marsa | Marsa F.C. Marsa St. Michael's | | | | | | | | Marsa | Marsa Top Gun RS Marsa St. Michael | | |
| 25 | Msida | Msida St. Joseph F.C. | University of Malta Students Futsal Junior College Futsal (defunct) | | Msida Boċċi Club | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | Żejtun | Żejtun Corinthians F.C. | | | | | | | | | Żejtun Domus Żejtun Lacci | | |
| 27 | Pembroke | Pembroke Athleta F.C. St. Andrews F.C. | Luxol St. Andrews Futsal Club Luxol Futsal Team B (defunct) | | | | Luxol | | | | | | White Hart Hockey Club |
| 28 | Marsaskala | Marsaskala F.C. | Marsaskala Futsal Club | Marsaskala SC | | | | | | | | | Marsascala Heat Hockey Club (Juniors) |
| 29 | Gudja | Gudja United F.C. | | | | | | | | | Gudja PO's Bar | | |
| 30 | Tarxien | Tarxien Rainbows F.C. | Tarxien JMI (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 31 | Fgura | Fgura United F.C. | | | | | | | | | Fgura PL Club | | |
| 32 | Żurrieq | Żurrieq F.C. Żurrieq Wolves | Żurrieq Futsal Club | | | | | | | | Żurrieq F.C. | | |
| 33 | Kalkara | Kalkara United F.C. | | | | | | | | Kalkara | Kalkara St. Joseph | | |
| 34 | Siġġiewi | Siġġiewi F.C. | | | | | | | | | Siġġiewi Ta' Klaricc | | |
| 35 | Marsaxlokk | Marsaxlokk F.C. | | Marsaxlokk ASC | | | | | | | | | |
| 36 | Qrendi | Qrendi F.C. Qrendi Sparrows AFC | | | | | | Falcons RFC | | | | | |
| 37 | Mqabba | Mqabba F.C. | | | | | | | | | Mqabba St. Mary BC Mqabba Tal-Gilju | | |
| 38 | Kirkop | Kirkop United F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 39 | Santa Luċija | Santa Lucia F.C. Santa Lucia Falcons AFC | | | Santa Lucija Bocci | | | | | | | | |
| 40 | Mellieħa | Mellieħa S.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 41 | Mtarfa | Mtarfa F.C. | | | | | Depiro | | | | | | |
| 42 | Mġarr | Mġarr United F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 43 | Dingli | Dingli Swallows F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 44 | Għargħur | Għargħur F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 45 | San Ġwann | San Ġwann F.C. | San Ġwann Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 46 | Pietà | Pietà Hotspurs F.C. | Pietà Hotspurs Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 47 | Ta' Xbiex | Ta' Xbiex F.C. | | Ta' Xbiex WPC | | | | | | | | | |
| 48 | Santa Venera | Santa Venera Lightnings F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 49 | Luqa | Luqa St. Andrews F.C. | Luqa St. Andrews Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 50 | Għaxaq | Għaxaq F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 51 | Żabbar | Żabbar St. Patrick F.C. | Żabbar St. Patrick Futsal (defunct) | | | | | | | | | | |
| 52 | Xgħajra | Xgħajra Tornados F.C. | | | | | | | | | | | |