Testing season for ASA as Preliminary Round starts today

The 2005 national waterpolo championship gets underway this evening with the opening matches from the Preliminary Round at the National Pool, Tal-Qroqq.

Eight teams will be involved in the first phase of the competition with two others, Ta' Xbiex and Otters, joining in after the sides are split in the first and second divisions.

Champions Sliema will be defending their crown and looking to make it five titles in a row. However, this time they will have to do it without coach Sergio Afric. The influential Croat moved to rivals Neptunes after Sliema's 2004 title celebrations were over.

The other teams in last month's Preliminary Round draw were Sirens, Marsascala, Exiles, San Giljan, Valletta and Marsaxlokk.

The transfer season has been a quiet one this year with very few movements of players from one club to another. Charlie Zammit left Neptunes to join Sirens as most out-of-contract players decided to stay put.

Again, no foreigners will figure in the summer competition. Lack of funds and a last-minute disagreement between club delegates at the 2004 annual general meeting are the main reasons for this decision.

Many had considered the move to re-introduce foreigners as an ideal incentive to lift the game's profile.

Last year, the sport again experienced dwindling attendances and it was only the highly-charged Sliema-Neptunes matches which drew the crowds.

That makes this a testing season for the ASA who failed to attract a sponsor for its national leagues for the first time in several years. The Winter League was also not played this year due to maintenance works which were carried out at the swimming complex.

Long-time ASA president Robert Ebejer still reckons this will be another eventful championship.

"True, we shall start without a sponsor," he said, "but we have high hopes of signing a new partnership deal soon.

"The Winter League was not played this year but the Preliminary Round should serve as a good build-up for the teams, particularly the ones from Division One. There was also a considerable number of friendlies so far. I'm sure the players will peak at the right time."

The ASA is aware of a slump in attendances and acted to remedy the situation. There won't be matches on Sunday in the first phase.

"We know there were less fans last year but we are now effecting some changes to the schedule," Ebejer said.

"Friday matches in the Preliminary Round will all be played under floodlights. This way, we feel spectators will follow the game more comfortably than under the scorching afternoon sun.

"If there's a good response to our experiment the second phase will be played in the evening."

Upcoming players

Ebejer reckons there's no clear favourite and the emerging talent of some upcoming players will come to the fore.

"Players nowadays are tied with contracts of a minimum four years, so you won't see much activity in the transfer market," he said.

"However, that does not mean there's no more interest from clubs who are looking more and more on their junior players to strengthen squads.

"I predict another close tussle for the title this year and, hopefully, that should keep the same level we had before.

"I'm also interested in seeing how young prospects like Steve Camilleri and Mark Meli, to name two, have developed their game since last year. If they keep the good work going the junior players will definitely steal most of the limelight this summer."

Perhaps, the most notable signing, apart from Zammit's move up north, was Sliema's acquisition of new coach Jubisa Mekcic, of Serbia.

He has a difficult job in his hands as it would take all his expertise to keep the Blues motivated after a string of remarkable successes. Sliema were seven times national league champions since 1996.

Afric has won the league with all First Division clubs he has been with, except Neptunes. Despite heavy investment in the team, the last time the Reds were champions was way back in 1993.

Sirens and Marsascala start rank outsiders. The team from St Paul's Bay, again under the charge of John Farrugia, finished the 2004 campaign with two impressive victories in the KO competition - vs Neptunes, 8-7 in the semi-final, and vs Sliema, 11-7, in the final.

Marsascala were never in the running for the honours last year.

However, Pierre Borg's team showed grit and determination all the way and that could herald the revival of this club from the south. The only time they won the national league was in 1997.

The Preliminary Round will be completed on July 23. On that day, Sliema face Sirens in the President's Cup and the Sportswriters' Association Cup will be contested by Neptunes and Marsascala.

The season comes to a close with the finals in the KO competitions on September 18.

Waterpolo - Preliminary Round