Waterpolo fans will have the opportunity to watch their teams in this summer’s National Championship, Joe Caruana Curran, president of the Acquatic Sports Association announced during the launching of this year’s competition.
The ASA chief said that the local governing body of acquatic sport are looking forward to restart waterpolo competitions as from July 15 and revealed fans will be able to make the trip to the National Pool to watch their teams matches.
“We are really excited to get our waterpolo season going as from next month,” Caruana Curran said.
“Up to a few weeks ago it looked as though that we wouldn’t even have a season but thanks to the sterling work of the health authorities and the government, the Covid-19 situation in Malta has improved a lot and we are here today talking about the start of the 2020 championship.
“Today, we find ourselves in a position to say that a number of fans will be permitted to attend matches at the National Pool. According to the last guidelines we received, it is planned that we can host up to 270 fans for matches.
“However, with the championship starting in three weeks’ time we are remaining very optimistic that if the situation in the country continues to improve we will be able to have even more fans present and we will do that keeping the safety of everyone concerned at the top of our agenda.”
The new waterpolo season will restart on July 15 when the final matches of the Enemed Cup will be played. Caruana Curran said that the final matches of the pre-season competition will serve as a good warm-up for all the clubs before the start of the season.
The ASA chief said that the clubs and the association’s Executive Committee have decided that in order to minimize the clubs’ expenses for this summer all teams will be unable to make use of overseas players.
“It’s true that the overseas players ramp up the level of competition and provide a great spectacle to our fans, but we need take care on the well being of our clubs,” Caruana Curran said.
“I believe that the decision of not having overseas players is a wise one and hopefully next season things will get back to normal and we will be able to have a championship with foreign players.”
The ASA chief said that this year’s summer championship will retain the same format of last season.
The first matchday is scheduled for July 21 and the season will come to a close with the KO final on October 14.
“We have also agreed with the clubs, that if due to a second wave of Covid-19 cases the season has is stopped before Match Day 13, scheduled for September 12, no champion will be crown in either the Premier or the First Division,” Caruana Curran said.
“This is because not enough matches will have been played to form a table. If it is stopped after, the league titles will be decided according to the table established after Match Day 13.”
Caruana Curran also announced that semi-finals and finals of the KO competition will be played after the end of the league competitions.
Meanwhile, one competition that will not be played this year is the BOV Winter League which will now return next season.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
PRELIMINARY ROUND
Group A: Neptunes, Sirens, Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala, Birżebbuġa, Ta’ Xbiex.
Group B: Sliema, San Ġiljan, Exiles, Valletta, Otters.
OPENING PROGRAMME
July 21: 18.15 Sliema vs Otters; 19.30 Neptunes vs Ta’ Xbiex.
July 22: 17.30 San Ġiljan vs Valletta; 18.45 Marsaxlokk vs Birżebbuġa; 20.00 Sirens vs Marsaskala.