The Malta Table Tennis Association has been suspended by national sporting authorities amid a raft of allegations, ranging from financial irregularities to failure to report a former committee member to the police for inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Sources confirmed that the suspension was enforced by the Maltese Olympic Committee, effectively halting the association’s formal standing within Malta’s sporting framework.
The MTTA has also drawn scrutiny from the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) and the International Table Tennis Federation, developments that have directly impacted Maltese athletes’ participation in international competitions, such as tournaments organised by the ETTU at a junior level and disrupted national development programmes.
A detailed report submitted to the relevant authorities outlines multiple governance concerns. Among the most prominent are allegations that membership fees were collected in cash, despite the association’s statute requiring payments to be made by bank transfer or cheque.
Further claims suggest that parents and members were pressured to sign petitions connected to internal leadership disputes, raising questions about the internal culture and whether proper democratic processes were respected.
Most troubling allegations relate to safeguarding
The most troubling allegations relate to safeguarding.
According to sources familiar with the internal proceedings, a former committee member was accused of masturbating in a public setting during a sporting activity.
The incident happened in 2024 during a badminton session organised by the Institute for Physical Education and Sport at the University of Malta.
The conduct was reportedly admitted during disciplinary proceedings and resulted in a lifetime ban imposed by the association.
However, the case has become mired in procedural uncertainty. The individual appealed the sanction, but more than a year later, an appeals board has yet to be appointed by the Malta Table Tennis Association.