The National Pool saga

The National Swimming Pool at Tal-Qroqq will again be unavailable for the winter months. Alex Vella questions the wisdom of having a heated pool which is now regularly closed down apparently due to austerity measures.

Voicing my opinion as a waterpolo and swimming correspondent for The Times and Sunday Times, I have often written about the problems the authorities have to contend with regarding the National Pool Complex at Tal-Qroqq.

These have to do mainly with expenses on maintenance work of the plant, the pool and its surroundings, the dressing-room areas, as well as seeing to certain shortcomings in the media section and other parts of the premises.

What has for the last three years become a regular temporary closure of the pool, with the attendant consequences affecting waterpolo players and swimmers, was also highlighted in my contributions. Suggestions to minimise the ill-effects on the athletes' training needs were put forward.

Last winter, for example, the swimming pool at Neptunes was temporarily made available for our swimmers thanks to the initiative of the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport. This time, according to Dr Louis Galea, the Minister of Education, also responsible for Sport, the National Pool at Tal-Qroqq will again be shortly closing down for three months so that maintenance work can be carried out. The Minister was replying to a recent Parliamentary Question from Labour MP Carmelo Abela.

Many say that this is a very sad situation which calls for some sort of permanent solution. If not, the swimming pool at Tal-Qroqq will be definitely classified as a 'White Elephant', a term I used in one of my articles some months ago. I had then written about the contemplated closure of the pool for some months due to what was also said to be maintenance work.

Whatever the reasons are for this closing down of the pool, it is crystal clear that the complex is a financial burden on the taxpayer. When it was planned and consequently completed in time to host the swimming events of the 1993 Games for the Small States of Europe, its commercial viability in the long run was probably sidelined.

Over the years, fuel costs for heating have soared and although marketing programmes were undertaken to utilise the complex to the maximum, the authorities deemed that the use of the pool throughout the year did not justify the increasing running expenses. Hence the austerity measures which were undertaken in these last years under one guise or another.

Refurbishment and maintenance work entail normal running costs which are allotted for any sports complex, especially when the infrastructure includes a swimming pool. At some point in time extraordinary expenses are also envisaged, as was the case last year when work on the pool bed was carried out.

Ideally these amenities should be financially self-sustainable through proper marketing. The intervention of the authorities to offset any shortfall in income is always welcome especially when a particular sport has to be promoted and enhanced on a national scale.

In truth, the Ministry for Sports, has very often extended its helping hand in this regard. Capital expenditure on extension works has been incurred with a view to making optimal use of the complex and thus enhance its income potential. But it seems that fuel costs for the heating of the pool are becoming increasingly prohibitive and drastic measures have to be taken.

On its part, the Aquatic Sports Association relies only on the Tal-Qroqq full-size pool for its waterpolo and swimming activities throughout the year.

Malta's participation in international competitions is part and parcel of the ASA's objectives to raise the standards of these disciplines. Preparation for such competitions is sine qua non.

Slovenia tournament

In April next year Malta is due to play in the European Waterpolo 'B' Championships in Slovenia and our team's build-up for this event will be completely derailed unless the full-size pool at Tal-Qroqq is available. The same goes for our swimmers and their plans for international participation in the next two years. The national association has commitments which should be honoured.

At the eleventh hour the ASA is faced with what seems to be a fait accompli resulting in the unavailability of proper training facilities for Malta's top waterpolo players and swimmers.

Many will ask what the alternatives are so that swimmers can have the best preparation possible to be able to compete honourably on the international stage.

Are the authorities in a position to guarantee that our top young men and women involved in aquatic sports will not be deprived of the bread and butter of international competition so that Malta's levels vis-à-vis those of other nations can be monitored?

What has happened to the dictum that a nation's progress is gauged by its citizens' physical well-being, also reflected by their achievements in the sports sector?

Waterpolo players and swimmers will be disappointed if the use of a standard-size pool is severely curtailed year in year out.

Despite the difficulties it is hoped that this recurring problem is addressed without delay and a permanent solution found for the benefit of all.