L-ambjent marittimu Malti huwa perfett biex pajjiżna jsir bażi tal-apnea, sport li jitlob li persuna togħdos fil-baħar f’fond konsiderevoli bin-nifs.
Stqarr dan Umberto Pelizzari, atleta tal-apnea li kiser diversi rekords dinjija f’din id-dixxiplina. Fl-1990 huwa kiser ir-rekord dinji b’għaddsa f’fond ta’ 65 metru fil-baħar tal-gżira ta’ Elba.
Disa’ snin wara huwa rnexxielu jogħdos f’fond ta’ 150 metru, filwaqt u kien parti wkoll mit-tim nazzjonali Taljan tal-apnea li wkoll kien kiser ir-rekord dinji.
Pelizzari stqarr li kull atleta tal-apnea ma jistax ma jkunx immeraviljat mill-ambjent marittimu li joffri pajjiżna.
“Any freediver loves Malta. We love freediving here because you have crystal waters, warm water, you have wrecks. I love diving in the wrecks, exploring the wrecks, imagining the story, the living part of the boat, you have caves so you have light and darkness at the same time. I really like this island.”
Illum Pelizzari huwa President tal-Apnea Accademy li waqqaf huwa stess. Stqarr li bix-xenarju li joffri pajjiżna, qed iħares li jistabbillixxi ċentru edukattiv tal-apnea f’Malta.
“It’s a really great spot for freediving and this is the reason why I like to create a freediving centre, training centre, educational centre. I have an international school called Apnea Academy, we have more than 600 instructors in Italy and 500 all over the world and I like to create a spot, a centre, a school here because you can freedive for 9 months per year.”
Fl-aħħar jiem Pelizzari kien f’pajjiżna biex jippromwovi dan l-isport u kif dan jista’ jkun ipprattikat b’mod aktar sigur. Huwa ltaqa’ wkoll mal-Ministru Konrad Mizzi li qal li jħares ‘il quddiem li dan l-isport jikber f’pajjiżna u li Pelizzari jikkunsidra lil Malta bħala t-tieni dar tiegħu.