In 1964 the Malta Basketball Association held its first ever meeting and general meeting. It was in October of the same year that the Association affiliated with the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC).
In May 1966 the final of the first knockout competition was played at the Polytechnic (now the Junior College) out-door court, Msida and won by Mundlos TC.
One of the popular pastimes especially for the younger generation of girls in Malta is ballet dancing. From an early age, girls are sent to a number of ballet schools which flourish around the island and the veritable floods of little girls attired in lovely pink or white dresses with their hair pulled back is surely a joy for all to see.
There are various types of ballet dancing but the most popular one which is generally taught in Malta is the classical format. Here dancers perform to a set piece of music which is normally a classical piece.
Malta is one of only two countries globally where you cannot obtain a divorce; the other country being The Phillippines. Being a strongly Catholic nation, the church plays a part in the lives of many, but slowly things are changing, with many people wanting a separation of church and state.
Over recent years, the divorce debate has raged in Malta and this month (July 2010), Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando presented a private member’s bill to Parliament in a bid to introduce divorce to Malta.
Being a small island, Malta doesn’t need high speed trains or have multi-lane highways. The only forms of Public Transport are buses, taxis, and ferries. There was once a railway line with six stations running between Valletta and Mtarfa, but that ceased operations in 1931.
There are two regular ferry services in operation, one from Valletta to Sliema and the other between Gozo and Malta, berthing at Cirkewwa and a limited service to Sa Maison, near Valletta on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The Christmas holiday period in Malta is a time of great festivity, with a feeling of celebration felt right across the islands.
Brightly decorated cribs (Maltese presepju) glowing with fairy lights appear in the windows of almost every house, and some houses are decorated with climbing Santas, neon stars and even sleighs and reindee. Such scenes provide tourists with plenty photo opportunities, in fact holidaymakers often return to Malta time and time again at Christmas.