UM Rowing Club launches new fleet of coastal rowing boats

Mar 26 2023

On the morning of March 25th, the University of Malta Rowing Club launched new additions to their fleet of coastal rowing boats. The event showcased four Quads (four-person boats with one coxswain) and four Doubles (two-person boats), which are the first of their kind in Malta.

This investment allows the club to expand their activities and build a significant international presence. “This fleet through the next few weeks will be in action as we will host the World Rowing Tour 2023 in collaboration with the World Rowing Federation, the most prominent international rowing association,” said UM Rowing Club President Rebekah Caruana. “To top it all off, in three weeks’ time, UM Rowing Club will host 20 youths from New Zealand and Australia, who, together with our athletes, will compete in the first Annual ANZAC Beach Sprint Competition.”

Rowing is considered an elite sport in the water sports community due to the high cost of equipment. The total amount invested in boats represents a cost of more than 70,000 euros. The Fund for Social Causes (Il-Fond għal Kawżi Soċjali) covered a considerable part of these costs. The fund’s main purpose is to help various organizations that have social, cultural, educational, sporting, philanthropic, or religious activities. “The application made by the University of Malta Rowing Club was welcomed by the Committee that manages the fund because it not only affects the sporting activity but also affects other aspects, including social, as it will bring together a large number of participants, as well as the cultural aspect of the country that we will export abroad,” said a fund representative. Through these funds, the Club can further popularize the sport of coastal rowing to make it more accessible to the wider public.

“The Central Bank of Malta’s aim, together with that of the organizers, is to promote sports amongst youths, raise Malta’s profile as a destination for coastal rowing, and showcase Malta to an international audience through the participation of mixed gender groups in rowing,” said Prof. Edward Scicluna, Governor of Central Bank of Malta, which is among the club’s main investors.

The club primarily brings together UM students and alumni but is not exclusive to them. “Given the size of our national territory and the fact that we’re an island, UM easily qualifies as a ‘coastal university.’ Hence, the Rowing Club is a natural if belated presence on campus, and we are so happy to lend our support to the Club and its activities,” said UM Rector Prof. Alfred Vella. “Indeed, we hope our enthusiastic club members will manage to apply themselves diligently and effectively in the sport of Coastal Rowing in preparation for the Commonwealth games in 2026 where we would dearly love to see them excel.”

In April, the Club will host two events on an international scale, and from May it will resume its indoor rowing trainings and coastal activities in full force. Club officials point out that a new thriving community is growing around coastal rowing in Malta.

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Cyrus Engerer leads a Conference for a concrete plan on Mental Health

Mar 26 2023

Engerer leads a Conference with European Commissioner Kyriakidis and Belgian Deputy PM De Sutter for a concrete plan on Mental Health

Member of the European Parliament Cyrus Engerer today led a conference in the European Parliament together with European Commissioner Stella Kyriakidis and Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter focusing on a concrete plan at European level on Mental Health.

Engerer who is also the co-Preisdent of the Mental Health Europe coalition in the European Parliament organised the conference together with Tomaš Zdechovsky from the EPP.

“Following Covid, we are today faced with a not so different pandemic”, said Engerer at the opening of this conference. “Mental health, especially that of our young people, is under threat – this is made clear by the statistics from the World Health Organization. One in seven young people suffer from some form of mental challenges. This means that thirteen percent of mental illnesses around the world, are being borne by our young people”, explained Engerer.

This conference saw interventions by the Commissioner for health and food safety, Stella Kyriakides, who spoke about the support that the European Commission is willing to give in this regard. She made reference to the promise made by the Commission towards the end of 2022. “This promise will be turned into concrete action” confirmed the Commissioner who announced the plan of the Commission for the upcoming year.

“In June we will see these promises put into words on paper – we will be launching the EU Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health”, explained Commissioner Kyriakides who thanked Engerer and his colleagues in the Mental Health Coalition in the European Parliament for their valuable work.

Meanwhile, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra de Sutter spoke on the work that the upcoming Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will be doing on mental health which will be focusing on Mental Health at the workplace. She also praised the work being done by Engerer and remarked that she looks forward to working together during the Belgian Presidency.

Engerer concluded that “everyone deserves a life away from the confines of anxiety, depression, PTSD, psychosis and any other mental challenges that could take away their love for life”. He said that “we need to make sure that every person feels comfortable seeking help – this can only be done if our campaigns encourage mental health literacy, including on the recognition of symptoms; while at the same time we need to make sure that we have more research being done on new ways to treat mental health challenges, like with the use of psychedelics”, concluded Engerer.

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Here are Brillanti’s Best Promising Young Dancer award nominees!

Mar 26 2023

Despite not making it to the next stages of the competition, Brillanti Dance awarded some of the auditioning dancers deemed to be the future of dance on the island!

Judges Patrick Odametey, Brenda Lee Grech and Andrea Attila picked out some of the best young dancers who auditioned for the competition.

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In them, they recognised talent, skill and passion for the craft. And although they might not be there just yet, their talent will still be recognised with a performance during the finale with the rest of the talented dancers competing!

They will also be in the chance to win a cash prize for their love for dance and hard work! Well done to all!

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Malta’s Destiny listed amongst Eurovision history’s legends

Mar 26 2023

Destiny Chukunyere, one of Malta’s very best singers and representative of the islands in various prestigious competitions, has once again made the island proud in her latest achievement.

Destiny has just been listed amongst some of the biggest Eurovision legends, including the likes of Ruslana, Rosa Lopez and Poli Genova.

Destiny had of course represented Malta, and won, in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 with her song ‘Not My Soul’. She then went on to appear in Britain’s Got Talent.

Following that, she won the second edition of the Maltese version of the X factor and represented Malta in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 with her song Je Me Casse.

Destiny was accompanied by renowned local producer Steven Levi Vella for this prestigious honour as excitement builds up for the next edition of the Eurovision, where Malta will be represented by The Busker with their song ‘Dance (Our Own Party).’

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