The Maltese Olympic Committee provides a number of programmes that offer assistance to identify, qualify and prepare young and promising athletes in their road to possible Olympic representation.
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The Youth Development Scheme
“When we discover talent…are we ready?”
2021 saw the decision taken to revise the current system that focused on youth elite athletes work towards a long term development journey for each athlete.
The name of the scheme was changed from Youth Elite Scheme to Youth Development Scheme with now five categories for athletes born 2009-2004 and an Intermediate +18 category.
The selection procedure is now primarily based on the projected future performance level of each nominated athlete, which is being determined together with coaches and Associations / Federations who were invited to nominate their most promising athletes. Close collaboration and ongoing communication between the MOC Youth Development Team and each of the Associations / Federations are essential components in order to create the best possible environment for our athletes to grow and reach their potential.
Together for the next generation of “Team Malta”
New Development Pathways for Young Maltese Athletes
Young Maltese athletic talent faces a variety of challenges on their uphill journey to reach their potential, in sport and beyond.
Sport does not play a substantial role in Maltese culture and society, and historically has never been considered more than a hobby or “fun activity”. While there are new developments to see physical activity as beneficial to obtain and maintain a healthy lifestyle, those focusing on their sport, as a primary development context or career, remain often isolated and face many obstacles and resistance in their pursuit of sports excellence.
In response to these challenging circumstances we are committed to work towards the following outcomes:
Selection Process based on Technical Criteria & Performance Trajectory
There is a commitment to support all athletes across sports disciplines who show potential to represent Malta at the highest level. The level of financial assistance and what services this support entails does depend primarily on the potential as determined by Technical Personnel.
Investment in Holistic Athlete Development
Being an Athlete is very different to playing a sport. In a culture almost hostile to making sport a real priority and potentially a career the MOC Youth Commission wants to invest in the next generation in all areas of their identity as athletes and human beings.
Establishing an ongoing Development Journey
The MOC Youth Commission seeks to work closely with the MOC Technical Commission, all associations / federations and other stakeholders of sports development to ensure that athletes are supported all the way from talent-identification to competing at the highest level as adult athletes.
Building one Team for Malta
Within each sport there is only a limited number of athletes with the talent and mindset needed to become a performance athlete. The MOC YDS wants to bring potential future performance athletes together from the different sports disciplines. – TogetherForMalta
2021 Youth Development Scheme Categories
Recipients’ Benefits according to Performance Trajectory
Category I – Global Championships / Olympic Games
€2000 + Educational System** + 4 sessions of Services***
Category II – Continental Championships / Global Youth
€1200 + Educational System** + 3 sessions of Services***
Category III – GSSE Medallist
€800 + Educational System** + Functional Diagnostic Laboratory Testing
Category IV – Maltese Champion
€400 + Educational System**
Category V – Youth Development Pool
Educational System**
Intermediate +18 Category
Varied Amounts according to Performance Trajectory + Educational System** + 3 sessions of Services***
**Educational System is €50 per person.
*** Services always include Functional Diagnostic Laboratory Testing & a selection of Sports related services including Nutrition, Psychology, Athletic Trainers and/or other MOC approved services as required and agreed upon.
View 2021 Beneficiaries
Youth Olympic Games
“By creating the Youth Olympic Games, the IOC played its role as a catalyst for the sports movement. It showed that its commitment to the youth of today and tomorrow is about action, not just words, by offering them an event of their own in the spirit of the Olympic Games.” – Jacques Rogge IOC President
The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event organized by the International Olympic Committee. The Games are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events consistent with the current Olympic Games format. The first summer version was held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010 while the first winter version was held in Innsbruck, Austria from 13 to 22 January 2012.
The age limitation of the athletes is 14 to 18 years of age. The idea of such an event was introduced by Johann Rosenzopf from Austria in 1998. On 6 July 2007, International Olympic Committee (IOC) members at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City approved the creation of a youth version of the Olympic Games.
These Games will also feature cultural exchange programs and opportunities for participants to meet Olympic athletes. Several other Olympic events for youth, like the European Youth Olympic Festival held every other year with summer and winter versions, and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, have proven successful. The Youth Games are modelled after these sporting events. The YOG are also a successor to the discontinued World Youth Games. The Summer Youth Olympic Games of Singapore in 2010 and Nanjing in 2014 each played host to 3600 athletes and lasted 13 days, whereas the Winter YOG of Innsbruck in 2012 had 1059 athletes and Lillehammer in 2016 had 1100 athletes and lasted 10 days.
YOG Editions
Commonwealth Youth Games
Since the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2000, the event has grown immensely from a mere 14 countries participating to a whopping 71 nations and territories. More than 1,300 young athletes, coaches and supporters will descend on the island of New Providence in The Bahamas next July for the sixth installment of the games.
All competitors in the Commonwealth Youth Games will be a minimum of 14 and maximum of 18 in the year of competition (i.e, their 18th birthday is during the calendar year in which the Games is held).
The second edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games took place in Bendigo, Australia in December 2004 and saw over 1000 athletes and officials from 22 countries in a 10-sport programme. The third Youth Games were held in the Indian city of Pune from 12 – 18 October 2008 where 71 nations and territories participated in 9 sports.
A decision was taken by the Commonwealth Games Federation at their General Assembly in 2005 to move the Youth Games outside of the Olympic Games year and in doing so awarded the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games to the Isle of Man. A decision was taken at the General Assembly in 2008 to award the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games to Samoa (5-11 September 2015) and also to subsequently adjust the quadrennial cycle, so that future events will take place in 2017, 2021 and so on.
CYG Editions
European Youth Olympic Festival
Thanks to an initiative of Dr. Jacques Rogge, in 1990 the European Olympic Committees launched the “European Youth Olympic Days” (EYOD), now called “European Youth Olympic Festival” (EYOF) a biennial; multi-sport event for talented young participants from the 48 member countries of the association of European Olympic Committees. The festival has a summer edition, held for the first time in Brussels in 1991, and a winter edition, which began two years later in Aosta.
The nine Olympic sports that are part of the EYOF are: athletics, basketball, cycling, gymnastics, handball, judo, gymnastics, swimming, tennis and volleyball. All these sports are regulated by the rules set by the international sports federation.
EYOF Editions
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