Sport integrity regulator’s top brass attends OPM’s visit to illegally built sports academy

The CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports (AIMS), Kevin Azzopardi, was spotted among the Prime Minister’s entourage during a visit to the Obstacle Course Academy (OCA) in Mrieħel, an illegally developed site under ongoing investigation by the same regulator.

The sports institution Prime Minister Robert Abela visited provides training courses for people who wish to participate in obstacle course challenges, but has been operating without planning permits since it was set up five years ago, as revealed by The Shift.

When asked whether he believed it was appropriate for the CEO of a sports integrity regulator to attend a PR visit to an illegally built obstacle course, Azzopardi stated that his attendance “was carried out strictly in the context of AIMS’ monitoring function, particularly in view of the presence of athletes and the increasing participation in obstacle course and fitness-related sporting activity”.

“Such attendance should not be construed as an endorsement of any site, but rather as part of AIMS’ mandate to remain informed and engage with developments affecting sport and athletes in Malta,” Azzopardi added.

It remains unclear what kind of serious “monitoring” or “engagement” could be achieved when the Prime Minister himself lavished praise on the OCA in a government statement.

Earlier in January, AIMS confirmed that five separate authorities were investigating the site’s planning irregularities and other issues reported by athletes and parents who reached out to The Shift.

When asked about the status of this coordinated effort by the authorities, Azzopardi confirmed that “enforcement measures were issued, including the temporary closure of the site.”

“AIMS has since been informed that, following the implementation of the required remedial measures and compliance with directives issued by the competent authorities, the relevant restrictions were lifted. In this regard, AIMS does not have the legal competence to supersede or duplicate the determinations made by these authorities,” Azzopardi said.

The sports integrity regulator did not divulge any information on the status of separate investigations into the Malta Modern Pentathlon Association (MMPA), an organisation which features several prominent players in the obstacle course racing world, including the coach who runs the OCA, Ivan Gauci.

“Any additional matters referred to in your correspondence which may involve third parties or ongoing processes are not matters upon which AIMS is in a position to comment publicly, particularly where such matters may involve ongoing assessments, inter-agency cooperation, or issues of confidentiality and due process,” Azzopardi said.