Five authorities investigating sports academy while owner promotes upcoming event

The Environmental Health Directorate (EHD) and the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) are currently carrying out “independent assessments” of the Obstacle Course Academy, bringing the total number of authorities which are known to have scrutinised the obstacle course racing academy to five.

Previously, The Shift reported how the sports academy in question, run by fitness trainer Ivan Gauci, was also subject to an enforcement notice by the Planning Authority (PA) and two parallel investigations carried out by the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports (AIMS) and the Office for the Commissioner of Voluntary Organisations (OCVO).

Despite evident issues with the site’s legality and unregulated activity that sparked multiple investigations, Gauci continues to operate unabated, promoting an upcoming event on his Facebook page in which participants pay between €20 and €25 to attend.

In a brief comment to The Shift, AIMS confirmed previously unreported investigations being carried out by the EHD and the OHSA. Gauci had previously claimed that he was “in constant communication” with these authorities.

“AIMS is not the competent authority for planning, environmental health, occupational health and safety, business licensing, or taxation matters. The involvement of other authorities arises from issues that fall within their own statutory responsibilities and not from any enforcement action by AIMS,” a spokesperson for AIMS said.

“Based on the information currently available to AIMS, the Obstacle Course Academy (OCA) is not registered with the Authority and does not operate within the organised sport framework overseen by AIMS. As a result, it does not fall within the Authority’s direct regulatory jurisdiction,” the spokesperson added, noting that AIMS’ involvement in matters not within its remit was limited to passing on information to competent authorities.

The Health Ministry’s spokesperson did not answer questions by publication time. Gauci also declined to respond to The Shift’s questions.

The EHD is responsible for protecting society from “public health emergencies and environmental health matters”.

While the EHD has not yet issued a public statement on its investigation, two parents told The Shift that their children developed skin infections after attending training sessions at the OCA.

Both parents, who reached out to The Shift independently of each other, blamed the use of dirty old mattresses on site as the likeliest reason for the spread of skin infections.

“Just a couple of days after participating in an OCA race, the child developed strange skin problems. After numerous visits to various doctors, a skin scraping was taken, which resulted in impetigo (a highly contagious bacterial infection, common in children, causing red sores and blisters),” one parent told The Shift.

“For the bacteria to be eradicated, the child required three weeks of antibiotics plus absence from school. The bacteria that cause impetigo are found especially in dirty bedding. If you look around the field, it’s filled with protective foam. They are damaged, filthy, wet mattresses that came from God knows where. Who knows how many animals and/or microbes have made these mattresses their home,” the parent added.

On 18 January, Gauci’s OCR academy will host the ‘OCR Warriors Winter ’26 edition’, a competitive event that local athletes must participate in to be eligible for international competitions.

Thanks to the formation of a politically well-connected organisation, the Malta Modern Pentathlon Association (MMPA), and Gauci’s ties with international sports consultant Marco Tomasini, there are just two individuals with a monopoly on eligibility for international competitions: Gauci and fellow MMPA member Julian Briffa.

In simpler terms, young local athletes who aspire to compete overseas effectively have no choice but to attend such events, with at least half a dozen individuals who spoke to The Shift during this investigation all agreeing that the community fears being singled out and rejected for participation.