The Grand Harbour was bustling with a gathering which was expected by Gejtu Cuschieri, the chairperson of the Regatta, to reach around 2, 000 people in total to celebrate Victory Day and support the people racing boats on behalf of their localities yesterday. “The Regatta Boat Race is a very popular traditional sport enjoyed by many people who come from all the localities taking part. A total of eight localities will be participating this year which include Birzebbugia, Cospicua, Kalkara, Marsa, Marsamxett, Senglea, Valletta and Vittoriosa.” This year was the first time the traditional Victory Day Regatta boat races was broadcast live on television but although this may be good for some, Gino Viacava, a competitor, did not believe this to be a positive step after competing for 20 years. “Broadcasting the sport on the television will hold people from actually attending the races themselves.” People gathering to watch the races were scattered around the harbour and when asked, they generally feared the decline of interest to keep the tradition alive in the future. Dorothy and Eugenio Cassar were just two members of the audience who believe the tradition is beginning to die out. “It is a way to keep healthy and fit. Competitors need to start from a young age but children are not taught the importance of this sport. I do not know why but the interest is declining,” Eugenio said. Many people emphasised the importance of including some form of syllabus involving traditional Maltese sports, such as the Regatta boat race, in schools. Regatta results page 45 bcaruana@mediatoday.com.mt