At first glance, the Malta Basketball Association's main arena looks like a modern indoor sports venue. A polished wooden floor, colourful spectator stands and an impressive network of blue steel beams create an atmosphere worthy of international competition. But look beyond the basketball court and an extraordinary piece of history emerges. This building was once an aircraft hangar, dating back to the Second World War. Where military aircraft once stood, basketball players now compete for national titles and European honours. It is a remarkable transformation, but perhaps the most interesting part of the story is not what Malta has built. It is how the island continues to find space for sport.
During the European Sports and Wellbeing Alliance for Municipalities (ESWAM) study visit in October 2026, the delegation explored the basketball complex at Ta' Qali, home of the Malta Basketball Association. The contrast between its facilities was immediately striking. At the centre stands the former hangar, transformed into an arena with approximately 1,200 spectator seats. Next to it are two training halls, with their distinctive curved timber structures and lightweight membrane roofs. Outside, basketball hoops provide further opportunities to play. Together, they offer an unconventional answer to a familiar European challenge: how can cities and sporting organisations accommodate growing demand without relying exclusively on expensive, conventional sports buildings?
The history of the main arena demonstrates that adapting existing infrastructure is not always the easiest option, but it can create extraordinary results. In 2012, a severe storm flooded the building and destroyed its wooden playing surface. What followed was a substantial renovation programme, delivered in phases and supported by public investment. The building's exterior and roof structure were upgraded, while the interior was redesigned with new seating, changing rooms, offices and additional facilities. Completed in 2020, the transformation involved an investment reported by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) at €1.8 million. The result is a venue that preserves the scale and character of its industrial past while meeting the demands of contemporary basketball.
Yet the neighbouring training halls may offer an equally valuable lesson for European municipalities. Their architecture is completely different from the main arena. Curved wooden beams support lightweight roofs, creating large, unobstructed playing areas without the visual weight of a traditional sports building. During the visit, young players were training beneath these structures, surrounded by coaches, basketballs and training equipment. It was a reminder that the real value of a sports facility is measured not only by its appearance or construction cost, but by what happens inside it. A training session does not necessarily require a grand arena. It requires a suitable court, a safe environment, committed coaches and enough available hours.
This distinction becomes particularly relevant when looking at Malta's basketball community. According to information shared during the visit, the association works with approximately ten clubs and more than 2,000 players, while the main complex accommodates around 780 games annually. The facilities support different levels of the sport, from youth development to senior competitions and international events. Ta' Qali also hosted basketball and 3x3 competitions during the Games of the Small States of Europe in 2023. Rather than concentrating every activity in one building, Malta has developed a collection of spaces that can serve different users and different purposes.
The achievements of Maltese basketball make this story even more remarkable. In 2026, both the men's and women's national teams became European champions for small countries. The women defeated Albania 72–55 in their final, while the men overcame Andorra 90–76. The success extended to the younger generations, with Malta's under-16 and under-18 girls winning their respective European Division C championships. The under-16 boys finished second. For a small island nation, these results are exceptional. They suggest that sporting ambition does not have to be limited by geography or population size, although they also reflect the commitment of players, coaches and the organisations supporting them.
But international success does not mean that every challenge has been solved. During the ESWAM visit, the association openly discussed the difficulty of attracting and retaining girls in basketball. According to the figures presented, approximately one girl registers for every 4.5 boys, while participation among girls aged 16 to 18 remains a particular concern. It creates an interesting contradiction: Malta's female national teams are delivering outstanding results, yet the sport still faces barriers to building a broader female participation base. The question is therefore not simply how to produce champions, but how those achievements can inspire more young people to discover and continue playing basketball.
“The Malta Basketball Association proves that big ambitions, creative thinking and limited resources can lead to remarkable sporting success.”
Financial sustainability presents another challenge. Football dominates much of Malta's sporting landscape, leaving basketball to compete for attention, sponsorship and resources. The association is therefore exploring ways to strengthen its financial position through further development of the complex. During the visit, ideas included additional basketball facilities, a training gym, padel courts and accommodation for visiting teams. These were ambitions rather than completed projects, but they revealed a clear direction: generating revenue through complementary activities could help finance the core sporting mission. For municipalities across Europe, this raises an increasingly relevant question. Should sports infrastructure be designed solely around the activity it accommodates, or should its wider economic potential become part of the development strategy?
That question has gained additional significance through recent political decisions. In August 2026, the Maltese government approved the transfer of land adjoining the Ta' Qali complex to the Malta Basketball Association, enabling further sports development. By November, the transfer was being finalised, with plans for another pavilion and facilities capable of generating income for the association. Improvements to climate control in existing pavilions were also progressing. The developments demonstrate that Malta's approach is still evolving. The former hangar was not the final destination, but one stage in a continuing effort to match sporting ambition with available space and resources.
For ESWAM, the most valuable lesson lies in the relationship between infrastructure, participation and long-term thinking. The impressive main arena creates a stage for elite competition and national pride. The adjoining halls provide the everyday training capacity on which future generations depend. Outdoor courts offer another entry point into the sport. And the proposed commercial facilities could strengthen the financial foundation needed to sustain these activities. Each element has a different purpose, but together they create something more meaningful than a collection of individual buildings.
Walking through the complex, it becomes clear that Malta's greatest achievement may be its willingness to look beyond conventional solutions. An old aircraft hangar became an international basketball arena. Lightweight structures created additional training capacity. A relatively small basketball community achieved remarkable European success. And new development plans are exploring how sport can become more financially resilient. None of this eliminates the challenges of participation, affordability or limited resources. But it demonstrates what becomes possible when organisations combine ambition with a practical understanding of space.
Across Europe, cities are searching for answers to growing pressure on their sports facilities. Malta offers a compelling starting point: before asking where to build the next sports hall, perhaps we should ask what opportunities already exist, which spaces could be transformed and how different types of facilities can work together. Because sometimes the future of sport is not waiting for a new building. It is waiting for someone to recognise the potential of an existing one.
Marcel de Visser Member of the board ESWAM