New tennis complex: Costs doubled to €2.8 million, and project delivered three years late

Prime Minister Robert Abela on Thursday inaugurated a long-delayed tennis complex in Pembroke, praising the government’s investment in sport while making no reference to the project’s spiralling costs and missed deadlines.

The facility, first announced in 2019 and originally intended for use during the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), has been delivered three years late and at more than double its initial projected cost.

What was once estimated at €1.3 million has now ballooned to €2.8 million, with no official explanation provided for the increase.

During the inauguration ceremony, held in the presence of Mark Cutajar, CEO of Sport Malta and responsible for the delayed project, the Prime Minister focused on the government’s commitment to sports infrastructure. However, he avoided addressing the project’s delays or financial overruns.

Sources within the Malta Tennis Federation told The Shift that while it was a relief that the project was finally complete, the process was deeply flawed. Describing it as “an exercise in mismanagement and waste of public funds,” one source said the development took seven years from conception to completion.

In a remark laced with sarcasm, the same source added that Malta should “hope it never hosts the Olympics,” suggesting that if timelines followed the pace of the Pembroke complex, such an event would have to be postponed “by a century.”

The project was originally split into two phases. The first phase included excavation works, six tennis courts, and a car park. The second phase was to incorporate offices, lounges, storage facilities, and other amenities.

In April 2021, work officially began, with assurances that the complex would be ready in time for the 2023 GSSE. By November 2022, it was evident that the complex would not be completed in time for the games. A statement by Sports Minister Clifton Grima avoided acknowledging the missed deadline, stating only that works were “moving along at a nice pace.”

The Pembroke tennis complex is not an isolated case but rather another example of sports facilities delivered by the government that have faced delays and cost overruns.

Other notable projects include a recently inaugurated aquatic centre in Gozo, opened around eight years late and costing more than double its original estimate, reaching approximately €20 million.

Meanwhile, a major project promised by Robert Abela in 2022 – a racing track in Ħal Far- has yet to commence.

A €7 million direct order was awarded to Elbros Group for a small drag racing track, which is also facing significant delays.