Fr General visits the new sports complex at St Aloysius College
One of the infrastructural features that sets St Aloysius College apart from other schools in Malta is its sports grounds. Today they are better than ever. In April 2022 an agreement was signed between St Aloysius College and the Vassallo Group to develop, maintain and manage the college’s sports complex, as well as build a new private sports college – the Mediterranean College of Sport – on location.
On Friday 10th May, after a long day visiting the three schools that make up St Aloysius College, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus Fr Arturo Sosa paid a visit to the sports complex site where works are in progress and will reach completion by the end of summer 2024. Fr General was in Malta on an official visit.
Fr Sosa SJ, EUM Provincial Fr Roberto del Riccio SJ and Fr Cipriano Díaz Marcos SJ, Regional Assistant for South Europe, were met on-site by several key members of the Vassallo Group, while the Rector of St Aloysius College, Fr Jimmy Bartolo SJ, explained the history of the agreement and its implications and outcome, which were seen as a win-win situation for both parties.
The new complex will have a refurbished pavilion for indoor sports, a canteen, fitness centre, a 25m outdoor swimming pool, a childcare centre, a gymnastics hall, dormitories, a new seven-a-side football pitch, a sport science and research centre as well as the existing football pitch and athletics track, and a parking area.
The new facilities will be available to MCS students and the students of St Aloysius College. The Complex will also be open to the public and to sports clubs after school hours. Much thought has gone into making the sports complex accessible and sustainable, with great attention given to limits in construction footprint and height.
Fr Jimmy explained to Fr General that this was a necessary step for the College to be able to continue to offer the best education to its students, and that the objectives of the College and the Vassallo Group were closely aligned. Since its foundation, the College has strongly believed that sport is an important value in the formation of students and of the public.