I refer to the item `Against the current` in the On the Dot column. I am afraid that the predictions I had made in an extensive article in the Times (June 3, 1993) under the heading "Now come the three Ms - maintenance, management and marketing" soon after the games of the small states of Europe were over, referring, of course, to the brand new sports venues, have unfortunately come true.

Both the Matthew Micallef St John all-weather athletics track at Marsa and the national swimming pool at the university have been poorly and, at times, badly maintained. In my article I had warned the authorities about all this but no one seemed to take notice.

Besides, there has been practically no proper marketing, and management committees have come and gone at various stages during these past nine years.

So little was done that now the government is having to spend thousands of liri to really rehabilitate these two venues in time for the forthcoming games of the small nations next year.

Let us hope that by that time the authorities would have learnt their lesson and after bringing these two venues back to their pristine condition, there would be proper maintenance, professional marketing and proficient management.