Take it to the hole!

My friend Cikku took one bite from a piece of cheese, hesitated, and then promptly spat it out with a look of disgust on his face.

Cikku was not very amused and took a closer look at the offending piece of cheese. Fine spots of blue covered the otherwise waxy yellow cheese and on realising this Cikku had a look at the expiry date on its packaging.

A sticker, with the nutritional information translated into Maltese, had conveniently covered the date turning Cikku's anger into an uncontrolled fury.

Cikku picked up the phone and promptly called a rather unfortunate customer care employee at the supermarket where he had purchased the cheese...

Quality product

The Malta Basketball Association (MBA) will be holding a press conference at Ta' Qali today to announce the appointment of the new coaches for the senior men's national team.

A little dickey bird told me that the MBA is trying to follow the success of the women's national team by building on the spaghetti connection and appoint an Italian coach to turn around the fortunes of the men's national team.

My flighted dickey friend also hinted that the coach in question is a good friend of Santino Coppa, the man who led our girls to gold in the GSSE, and has already been seen at one or two Kinnie National League games.

Without a doubt, the MBA wants to leave no stone unturned in the search for success in forthcoming appointments of the national team.

Not so good quality

Last week I mentioned that the under-19 leagues would be transferred to the gymnasium at St Dorothy's school in Zebbug.

I also expressed my doubts about how suitable this venue is for such a league.

Well the first games were played last Tuesday and the verdict is out.

A few minutes after the games were played my mailbox started to act like it came out of a Harry Potter story.

Several complaints were addressed to me directly while others were posted at the www.maltahoops.cjb.net forum.

The size of the court, the distance from the backboards to the wall and sideline, were the major complaints since they not only affect the quality of play but also the safety of the players. It must be remembered that at this level the players are fast approaching the size and speed of senior players.

Coaches are worried that the more talented players, some of whom already represent their clubs at senior level, are at serious risk. Perhaps the MBA should look into this matter as soon as possible.

I have also received some lamentations about the quality of the playing area used in the mini-basketball tournaments, something I have written about several times, and for fear of sounding like a bad echo I will not go into more detail about this issue.

One parent also asked why there is no medical coverage at such tournaments.

Quality assurance

Ta' Qali is still in ruins. When is the new wooden floor going to be installed? Has it been ordered? Can the MBA bank on financial help form the government?

These are all questions that need to be answered. Volleyball is now played at a brand new venue, that of Cottonera.

Surely a sport that managed to win a team Gold medal in the GSSE deserves as much!

It is about time something is done NOW, if nothing else for the sake of my mailbox, which cannot take the strain!

Stephen Buttigieg may be contacted at coachsteveishere@hotmail.com, if his mailbox is full please try again later!