Waterpolo and the national pool

It seems that it was quite easy for George Whelpdale to blame any vandalism at the national pool on waterpolo players. This was also easily confirmed by Minister Louis Galea.

Shame on both individuals. Their statements were only based on assumptions.

Mr Whelpdale himself took over the management of the national pool well after the end of the last waterpolo season. Both Mr Whelpdale and Dr Galea probably never watched a waterpolo match.

Former Sports Minister Jesmond Mugliette used to watch hot waterpolo matches and had a close connection with both players and the ASA. He never accused us of vandalism because he knew who and what caused problems at the national pool.

Boasting of installing anti-vandal, fixed shower heads and push button water taps in the year 2005 shows how Mr Whelpdale is new and inexperienced at managing a complex of this sort. All European countries, including those of the eastern block, have had these systems even before the 1990s.

Today many countries are using the sensor type "tap" systems, while the pressure and the temperature of the water are centrally adjusted to avoid scalding.

May I remind Mr Whelpdale that the procedure of inspecting the changing rooms before and after matches is not new. This was being done for the past two years even before the start of the daily training sessions. As a guarantee (to return the key and have the room checked) one would be asked either to leave his car keys, his watch, money or, in the past year, some sort of identification card. Who was doing the vandalism then?

A few days ago, upon entering, we were asked by the receptionist for a Lm1,000 guarantee to use a changing room. Who would be so daft to accept to pay such a deposit on something that the pool is obliged to provide?

I believe that no club is in such a financial position to give in to this system. What Mr Whelpdale is doing is discouraging clubs from using the national pool. Young people taking up swimming or waterpolo would be disheartened by the lack of facilities or the conditions we train in especially during the winter months. It has been two years in a row that works at the national pool started in January instead of October. Last year, each club had to endure three months of training in two 25-metre lanes (60 persons actively swimming in the diving pool at a time).

This year we were given a "cold" alternative. Even the winter championship was not held. Is this being done to economise on fuel?

The government built this pool for water sports. Ten years thereon, waterpolo reached a level that no other team sport had ever reached in Malta. This was done due to the sheer dedication of every single waterpolo player on this island. We do not go to the national pool to have a picnic or sunbathe on the deck. We go there to work hard... and this we shall keep on doing for the love of our sport... no matter how lousy the national pool is run or kept.