The Malta Sports Journalists Association (GħĠS) refers to the Press Release issued on the
6th of March 2013 signed by Mr Mario Meli regarding the newly established ‘Sport Press
Malta.’

Due to the establishment of this new Sports Journalists Association by Mr Meli, GħĠS
unfortunately has no other way but to publish certain details for the benefit of all Sports
Journalists and the general public.

Mr Meli, the founder of the newly established ‘Sport Press Malta’, has occupied the role of
Treasurer during the last term of the GħĠS Executive Council and chose not to present the
Financial Report to the members during the Annual General Meeting as requested from
him by the statute of the said association. Moreover, he chose not to attend to the Annual
General Meeting due to the fact that he did not agree that an Election should take place and
withdrew his nominations of Treasurer and Member of the Executive Council respectively
just one hour before the elections were held. One should also note an election within this
association was not present for many years as the nominations were uncontested.

Along with Mr Meli, three other members, namely Mr Daniel Buhagiar, Mr Willie Vassallo
and Mr Kenneth Vella, decided not to go through the democratic process of an election and
withdrew their respective nominations. These members withdrew their nominations due to
the fact that only four members from the nine nominations could be elected in the Executive
Council.

GħĠS unfortunately notes that the internal conflict within the Executive Committee was
caused due to Mr Meli’s insistence during the past two years and subsequently his own
decision of enhancing that the ‘Kunsill Malti għall-iSport’ (KMS) should organise the ‘Sport
Malta Awards l-Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali’ at the detriment of the Għażliet Sportivi
Nazzjonali’s own integrity, of which KMS had control on in different aspects. Therefore, it is
clearly evident that Mr Meli’s real motif behind the organisation of the Sport Malta Awards by
KMS may be attributed to the fact that he might have personal interests, noting the fact that
he used to and still does some work with the said KMS.

One should also note that the newly established ‘Sport Press Malta’ is formed by members
who might also have interest and personal obligations towards KMS. Mr Kenneth Vella is
the Director within the Board of Directors and Mr Willie Vassallo is Mr Bernard Vassallo’s
(KMS Chairperson) father. This is a clear example of conflict of interest and one can now
understand that the mentioned member’s real interest was not towards GħĠS and its fellow
members, but their own loyalty towards KMS.

GħĠS also declares that it was never against the fact that the ‘Sportivi Nazzjonali’ should
be organised along with KMS but it is against the fact of how they being organised and also
against the fact that certain decisions were not communicated and consulted with GħĠS.
GħĠS was and still is against the concept implemented by KMS, that of the SportMalta
Award, which is decreasing the importance of the ‘Sportiv’ and ‘Sportiva tas-Sena’, which
honours are considered to be a tradition within such awards which date back 61 years.

GħĠS is ready to work with any institution in the future, including KMS, with the main interest
being that of GħĠS itself and the ‘Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali’, reaching an agreement on
the specified conditions in the future, having a contract with definite years from which ĠħĠS
could benefit from financially.

Maltese Sports Media and has been doing this since 1970. It is the only officially recognised
association within the highest international sports media authorities, namely ‘Association
Internationale de la Presse Sportive’ and ‘l-Unione Europenne de la Presse Sportive’ and
also by the ‘Istitut tal-Ġurnalisti Maltin’, ‘Fondazzjoni Tumas Fenech għall Edukazzjoni
fil-Ġurnalizmu’ and with all Sports Associations affiliated with the National Olympic
Committee.

GħĠS holds every right to proceed with legal actions against Mr Mario Meli, Mr Kenneth
Vella, Mr Willie Vassallo, Mr Daniel Buhagiar and others in order to safeguard its own
integrity and interests and those of its members, both locally and internationally.

Sandro Micallef

General Secretary