Archery Association of Malta

The Archery Association of Malta is the national home of target archery on the island. The association is the only body in Malta recognised by the World Archery Federation, SportMalta and the Maltese Olympic Committee, and its stated aim is to develop and promote archery as an athletic discipline. This page covers its outdoor range at the Marsa Sports Club in Marsa, where much of the outdoor shooting takes place.

For a UK visitor, this is the place to ask about shooting a few arrows on holiday, joining a club if you are moving to Malta, or entering a competition while you are here. The association is listed alongside other organisations in our directory of sports clubs in Malta.

What the association organises

The association runs a full calendar. It stages indoor and outdoor National Championships, an International Tournament and almost weekly competitive shooting events. Those regular events matter because they let archers earn the Minimum Qualifying Criteria needed to represent Malta in international competitions.

Its website has guidance for each bow type: recurve, compound, barebow and longbow. It also has pages on the parts of the bow, choosing your bow, range safety, preparing for a competition, national records and anti-doping, which makes it a helpful starting point for newcomers. A group sessions programme called Have a Go is listed for people who would like to try the sport before committing, although session dates and prices are not published, so ask through our form.

Our Valletta city guide and the Three Cities guide cover heritage sights that make an easy companion to a day of archery.

History and international record

Archery has an organised history in Malta that goes back to 1969, when the Falcon Bowmen Club was formed. The association itself was founded in 1970 and became affiliated to the international federation the same year. Sagittarius Archery Club followed in 1973, and in 1980 a new statute allowed individual archers to affiliate directly to the association.

Malta archers competed at the Mediterranean Games in 1979 and then at the Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988, alongside the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982 and several European and World Championships. In 1992 the association organised the European Outdoor Archery Championships in Malta, and in 2000 it hosted the Archery Games of the Small States of Europe. Compound bow categories were introduced in local competitions in 1993. Raphael Patiniott became Malta's first international judge in 1980.

Visitors who like the sports heritage side of travel will find more ideas in our guide to things to do in Malta and the Knights of Malta history guide.

The committee and the code of conduct

John Schembri has been involved since the association was founded in 1970 and is now President. He has served as secretary and national coach, helps with mentoring and coaching, and tunes bows regularly; he still holds several longbow records. Jeremy Bartolo is Secretary and a certified World Archery level 1 coach who helps beginners start, and he won the national indoor championship with a compound bow in January 2023. Brian Micallef, Treasurer, shoots a compound bow and has represented Malta abroad. Daniel Schembri is Scores and Records Officer, holds national compound records and helps coach beginners. Maria Bugeja is Range Officer and Karl Cutajar is Public Relations Officer.

Members agree to a published code of conduct. It asks everyone to respect fair play, to treat fellow archers, coaches and officials with respect, to put the wellbeing and enjoyment of each archer above results, to protect others from bullying or abuse, and to take responsibility for their own insurance and fitness. The association can take disciplinary action under its statute if the code is broken.

Visiting and getting in touch

The outdoor range is at the Marsa Sports Club, and the indoor range is in Pembroke. Because opening times are not published, always arrange a visit beforehand. If you are planning a trip around a competition, our guides to where to stay in Malta and flights to Malta from the UK help you plan, and the Malta weather guide shows what to expect month by month on an outdoor range.

Relocating archers can read our relocation guide for UK residents and the about Malta overview. To start a conversation, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the association.