National Pool - a 'White Elephant'?

The use of the National Pool throughout winter has been curtailed in these last years owing to several reasons. ALEX VELLA takes a look at the situation while presenting the views of Dr Michael Gialanze, chairman of the Swimming Board.

It seems that the National Pool at Tal-Qroqq is becoming a perennial problem for swimmers when the hot season is over. In the last couple of years inadequacies at the complex have hindered a number of youngsters and also top swimmers in their schedules leading up to important targets.

The efforts of the Aquatic Sports Association through its Swimming Board to give the sport a thorough facelift with proper technical support and the right environment in terms of pool facilities have, unfortunately, been all but aborted in recent months.

Last winter, the 50-metre pool had to undergo refurbishing work at the base and was closed for a number of months until the swimming and waterpolo facilities returned to normal late in Spring.

This year rumours are rife that the pool will have to close again for further maintenance works.

Whatever the reason, our pool will probably again be unavailable during the Autumn and Winter months. The attendant consequences for our swimmers will be obvious, especially for the top ones who are targeting the 2005 GSSE in Andorra.

Only last week, one local swimming club had to cut short their training sessions because of the far from ideal water temperature. In winter our swimmers were also deprived of following up their land training schedules with work-outs in the pool.

As if the drawback of having no national coach was not enough after Attila Selmeci's engagement had expired in September 2003, the unavailability of the pool brought the winter competitive programme to a standstill.

What is really wrong with our pool? Why is the water temperature left to dip well below the required standards? Are the boilers malfunctioning, or simply out of order? Or is it a question of tightening up on expenses?

Whatever the reason is, the Pool Management should be in duty bound to explain why the water is not maintained at required temperatures. This is a disservice to our swimmers, who do not know where they stand with their preparation.

Dr Michael Gialanze, chairman of the ASA Swimming Board, did not mince words when airing his disappointment at this state of affairs.

"If the pool is again closed this winter, our swimmers will be severely handicapped. It is unthinkable to expect our boys and girls to train in alien conditions, temperature-wise.

"What worries me more is that we have engaged a new Italian coach of good repute and our swimmers are not allowed to train in proper conditions.

"In these circumstances we cannot expect good results despite all our efforts and the expenses incurred on highly-qualified technical personnel," Dr Gialanze said.

Identifying problems

"We should be told what the real problems are. If these are of a financial nature, the heating expenses could be reduced substantially if a pool blanket is provided for the night. We need to have proper facilities for any contingency, supported by a more professional and responsible approach from all quarters.

"Last Sunday, I was embarrassed when a 15-strong group of top British breaststroke swimmers on a seven-day training camp commissioned by Bill Sweetenham, the ASA of Britain Performance Director, could not make use of the pool because of insufficient heating levels and their swimming programme had to be abandoned prematurely."

This training camp had been arranged months ago and every effort should have been made to ensure that facilities would be optimal.

"Unfortunately, this was not the case," Dr Gialanze added, "and our guests were greatly disappointed at the way things turned out.

"Apart from catering first and foremost for our swimmers, those responsible cannot show disregard for top foreign swimmers like we had last week. This will not help in any way to encourage Sports Tourism in our country."

Indeed unless we pull our socks up and grab the bull by its horns, the National Pool could well take on the tag of a 'White Elephant'.

Already there are distinct signs of this, as the pool has taken the semblance of a desert, following a sharp fall in attendances.

A hefty increase in entrance fees is keeping bona fide pool patrons away and that causes a multiplier effect.

Was a proper marketing exercise carried out before such a rise received the go-ahead?

And what about provisions for capital and recurrent expenditure on equipment and refurbishment of the infrastructure at the complex?

When the complex was completed in 1992, the running of the pool facilities on commercially viable basis must have been foremost in the minds of those in authority. Did accounting results give rise to any corrective measures along the years?

Clearly, drastic rethinking has to be done in order to reverse a worsening scenario which is primarily claiming the scalp of our swimmers.

Do we have to keep reminding those responsible, like I and my colleagues did several times, of the need to act without delay?