Winter League to start on April 18

The 2004 Waterpolo Winter League will get underway on Sunday, April 18, Aquatic Sports Association (ASA) president Robert Ebejer told The Sunday Times yesterday.

Ebejer said that the refurbishment works at Tal-Qroqq's Olympic-sized pool were completed and if no further problems are encountered the first matches of the warm-up competition should be played in two weeks' time.

"All works at the pool have now been finished and in the next two days the pool should be filled up with water," he said. Our plans now are that we hold the Easter Swimming meeting on April 16 and 17 as scheduled and then start the Winter League the next day."

The Winter League was originally planned to start on March 13, but delays in new tiling and pool bed works had forced the ASA to postpone the competition.

Eight teams will be taking part with the ASA Youths playing out of competition. All sides will have to face a rigorous time-table for the ASA to get back on its planned schedule. The summer championship this year starts in mid-May.

Ebejer did not rule out a change in format.

"Certainly most of the matches will be played in mid-week," he said. "We have not yet decided whether we will be maintaining the usual league format. There are only a few weeks left before the start of the summer championship and we must find a way how to complete the competition before the second week of May."