Sport, Small States and Capability Building: Voices from Malta

The field of small state studies has highlighted the unique challenges faced by small states. Within this domain, there has been a relative silence regarding the Republic of Malta and sport. This article poses two questions: (i) What are the concerns voiced by elite athletes, coaches, sport administrators, and physical education teachers when discussing high-performance sport provision in Malta? and (ii) How might a small state lens and capability approach (CA) help to reflect on high-performance sport in Malta? This exploratory qualitative study draws upon semi-structured interviews and an analysis of selected key government, non-state documents, and reports informing high-performance Maltese sport.