All is set for pre-season splash

After a six-week postponement due to renovation of the main pool at Tal-Qroqq, curtains will be lifted on pre-season waterpolo tomorrow with eight teams and an ASA youth side set to flex their muscles in tuning-cum-competitive mode prior to the summer 'realities' due to start immediately afterwards.

There may not be any real gripping element in pre-season waterpolo, as the Winter League is referred to in domestic quarters. The early tuning factor within a framework of near casual contests is predominant despite a marked attempt by the main winter title contenders to achieve their target. The priority is preparation for summer.

This has been the 'raison d'etre' for such a competition. ASA president, Robbie Ebejer, has always stressed that the building-up of our players' fitness in all its aspects has to be sustained so that we can compete adequately in the wider international arena.

"Since the Winter League started in 1994, our teams at club and national levels, have made significant progress. Although our competitions' set-up may not be aligned to that on the continent, where waterpolo is played in winter, we have adapted ourselves quite well to the demands of the international calendar.

"Healthy pre-season competition should also keep the spark of interest ignited," he said.

Summer tradition

"Our main calendar is rooted in summer and this is borne by traditional factors among which one can mention our better attendances than those in many European countries.

"And Malta's clubs are more functional in summer, so there is no reason why we should shift our main competitions to the winter months.

"We think pre-season waterpolo, however late it was this year, is here to stay. This year we have the biggest number of teams taking part. This shows the interest our clubs attach to this competition."

The one-month schedule will pit the teams against one another on a round robin basis, with the matches between the top four being played in the latter part of the competition, due to come to an end on May 19.

Neptunes, the holders, Marsascala, Sirens and Sliema, will be joined by San Giljan, Exiles, Marsaxlokk and Ta' Xbiex, with the ASA Youths completing the list of participants, but on an out-of-competition basis.

Neptunes and Sliema will be relying on last year's nucleus of players while drafting in more home-grown talent.

Dirk Dowling, the Balluta team coach, made this point clear when speaking of his team's prospects.

"We want to be patient and rely on our own products. Any success which comes our way during the consolidation process is a welcome bonus.

"In the meantime we are prepared to wait," Dowling said.

Unlike the Reds and the Blues, Sirens and Marsascala will have some changes in their squads. The northerners will parade Clint Mercieca, their controversial close-season signing from Marsascala, and Mario Zammit, also from the same club.

The seasiders from the south have also lost Joe Cremona, who joined Exiles, but acquired the services of Claudio Spiteri Debarro from Sirens. Apart from that, the backbone of each of the big guns will remain unchanged.

San Giljan took Silvio Borg from Exiles on their bandwagon, while the latter team's additions, besides Cremona, are Karl Rizzo Naudi and goalkeeper Alan Grech, both ex-Sirens.

Other changes include those of Simon Cachia, who moved from Sirens to Marsaxlokk and Stephen Balzan, who joined Ta' Xbiex from Exiles.

Otherwise all the participants will bank on a mixture of seasoned talent and promising youngsters who would add spice to a 36-match curtain-raiser to the summer league.

Tomorrow's matches: 9.30 a.m. Sliema vs San Giljan; 10.30 a.m. Neptunes vs Ta' Xbiex; 11.30 a.m. Exiles vs Sirens; 12.30 p.m. Marsascala vs Marsaxlokk.