Sirens ASC swimmers have just taken part in an international swimming meeting in Paterno, Sicily – the Coppa Panettone.

The meet organisers hosted 334 swimmers in all, representing 23 clubs, mostly Sicilians.

The occasion provided an excellent opportunity for Sirens to continue with their rigorous training programme despite the festive season. Improved times and smooth competition technique represent vital components for the young Sirens squad’s progression, both in Malta and abroad.

And the unstinting efforts of swimmers and coaches clearly paid off.

While only a small group from the swimming squad travelled to Sicily, the ones crossing the channel returned home with eight medals (one gold, five silver and two bronze) as opposed to the two medals from the same competition in 2014.

The medals included a superb finish to the meeting for Sirens with a silver in the men’s 4x50m medley relay.

That remarkable placing was complimented by a good number of personal best times and strong performances by the rest of the Sirens squad.

Head coach Daniela Deguara Gatt does not want the squad to rest on its laurels.

“More hard work and training and a lot of learning to do, both in the pool and at school,” she said when asked what’s next in programme for her team.

“At Sirens we want to develop children with good characters who do well in sport and in their social lives. That would create better opportunities for our swimmers which is a major goal for our club.

“We’re looking forward to continue developing our swimmers and offer them a better future for the good of the club, the sport and the country.”