Para Football in Malta: Sharing Expertise on Global Disability Football
Para Football in Malta: Sharing Expertise on Global Disability Football
On February 28th, 2026, Para Football joined the Malta Football Association Disability Sports Network Convention online. The event brought together sports organisations, clubs, and experts from around the world to talk about how football and sport can become more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. As a global organisation dedicated to football for persons with disabilities, Para Football was invited to present and share its experience at this important event, held at the Centenary Hall at Ta' Qali, Malta.
Organised by the Malta FA Football Social Responsibility (FSR/SES) Department, the convention created a space where people could come together, share ideas, and learn from each other. It combined international perspectives with local experiences, giving a clear picture of both the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done to make sport truly inclusive.
Para Football was represented by Sam Turner, Founder and Trustee of Para Football, who spoke about the organisation's work in bringing together International Federations, raising awareness, and supporting organisations at every level to grow Para Football opportunities around the world. His message focused on the importance of learning from each other and building something stronger together.
"We want to share examples from other countries so we can all learn from one another and develop the best opportunities for our players and people with disabilities. It is really important to bring together stakeholders so we can all play a part and make sure that every person with a disability knows that they have a place in football, a positive place where they can enjoy the game and, if they want to, develop to play at national or international level."
Sam also highlighted Para Football's work in developing mixed disability football opportunities around the world:
"Part of our work is developing pan-disability or mixed disability football opportunities, because in some communities it can be more challenging to bring together a whole team of players with one specific disability. We have great examples from around the world where people with different disabilities play together, including our annual events in West Asia, which bring together teams from different countries where players with different disabilities compete alongside one another. We also help them learn more about their own disability and the disability of others."
Other speakers also brought valuable perspectives. Donal Byrne, President of the European Powerchair Football Association, shared a live demonstration of a powerchair football match taking place in Portugal. It was a strong and inspiring moment that showed the level of skill, energy, and competition in the sport.
Joseph Grima, President of the Malta Paralympic Committee, spoke about the situation in Malta and the need to create more opportunities and better infrastructure for athletes with disabilities. His words were a reminder that while progress is happening, there is still a lot to build for the future.
The event also reinforced how important it is to keep things practical. Creating opportunities at grassroots level, increasing visibility, and working together across organisations are all key to making real progress. These are values that strongly connect with Para Football’s work and will continue to guide its actions moving forward.
The convention ended with a shared understanding that the next step is action. Participants agreed on the need to build a clear strategy to close existing gaps, better support athletes, and keep accessibility at the centre of sport development.
Being part of this event was a great opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and be part of a wider conversation about inclusion in football. Para Football leaves the convention inspired and motivated to continue supporting the development of opportunities for players with disabilities around the world, and looks forward to strengthening this collaboration with Malta FA and the wider disability sport community.
