Sports Academy operating without permits, regulator confirms ongoing investigation

A sports institution known as Obstacle Course Academy (OCA), which provides training courses for people who wish to participate in obstacle course challenges, has been operating without any planning permits since it was first set up five years ago.

An enforcement notice which was issued by the Planning Authority (PA) two years ago clearly references the “illegal development which consists in the change of use of a field to a site being used for sports activities, placing of a container, installation of a metal structure roofed with insulated sheets, and placing of sports equipment and palettes.”

The illegal development is located in Triq il-Ħofor in Qormi, and is nestled between multiple agricultural fields in an otherwise relatively uninhabited area.

The developer behind the institution, Alex Tanti, appealed the PA’s enforcement notice, with the appeal remaining pending since. The next hearing for this appeal is set for 17 February 2026, which means that until a decision is taken by the appeals tribunal, the appellant is not paying any daily fines to the PA.

The CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports (AIMS), Kevin Azzopardi, confirmed that AIMS is aware of the illegalities committed on the site and that the authority’s director of integrity, Sandro Camilleri, is currently following up with other authorities on a number of issues that were highlighted in a report sent directly to AIMS’ offices.

“The facility is a private institution that has not begun the process of official registration with the authority, though we are still looking into it. We are monitoring this situation closely,” Azzopardi told The Shift when reached for comment.

The regulator’s CEO also said that, while their investigation about OCA remains ongoing, any entities which are found to be in breach of the legal frameworks which regulate sport-related businesses will not be allowed to operate.

A concerned parent who reached out to The Shift to highlight problems encountered at the OCA also pointed towards a whole host of other issues, including the lack of basic facilities like electricity and running water and no insurance policy covering third parties in the case of injury and/or accident.

Questions about the facility’s operations have been sent directly to the email address of the coach who runs the OCA, Ivan Gauci, who used to be a swimming coach with Sirens AFC before his departure from the club in 2017.

In his responses to The Shift’s questions about the facility’s operations, Gauci stated that “the land use on which our activities are conducted is the subject of an active appeal filed before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT).”

“Since the legal status and planning requirements of the site’s use are sub judice and pending a final determination by the EPRT, we are unable to comment further on the site’s formal registration status with the Lands Authority for business purposes at this time,” Gauci’s response reads.

As for questions about operational safety, Gauci claimed to be “in constant communication” with the health and safety authority and “other relevant regulatory bodies” to adhere to the required standards, including a health and safety inspection which was carried out on the same day this article was published.

“During the inspection, authority staff verbally complimented the organization on the high standards of safety and maintenance meticulously maintained at the site. Furthermore, we want to assure you that whenever any issues are raised, we immediately take action to keep our facility up to the highest standards,” the statement continues.

Gauci also said that “no standard comprehensive insurance policy currently covers this specific type of sport or activity”, and that OCA takes additional measures such as “enhanced internal safety protocols, strict supervision, and mandatory participant waivers that acknowledge the inherent risks associated with this sport.”

As for our questions about the gym’s hygiene protocols, Gauci responded that, although the academy tries to adhere to “high standards typically employed by professional indoor fitness facilities”, OCA’s location “necessitates certain practical and unavoidable differences in approach.”

The developer behind the OCA, Alex Tanti, was last mentioned in The Shift’s reporting in connection with a planning application to develop “farmer quarters” on pristine ODZ land in Buskett.

Though the application was recommended for refusal by the PA’s case officer, it remains to be seen whether Tanti’s Buskett application will be approved. During the last board hearing, Tanti’s architect, George Farrugia, asked for a three-month suspension to address the case officer’s recommendations.