Saints out to maintain momentum

Few had given San Giljan Zara a chance of holding their own in the Division One this summer as the team from Balluta had failed to shine in the Preliminary Round. Furthermore, they looked distinctly second best in their direct clashes with the other three contenders before the Championship Pool got underway earlier this month.

However, San Giljan's incredible 11-10 win over then sole leaders Sliema McDonald's will surely have forced the pundits to sit up and take notice. Last weekend's match was the Saints' last opportunity to stay in contention for the title and Ian Azzopardi's men did not disappoint their fans.

Despite their notable improvement in recent years, the present San Giljan team still lack the qualities and strength-in-depth to repeat the exploits of the edition that dominated the local waterpolo scene way back in the mid-1990s. However, if the club maintains this upward trend in the next few years, San Giljan could become a force to be reckoned with.

The Saints have an ideal chance to show that their victory over Sliema was no fluke as tomorrow, they square up to joint-leaders Neptunes Vodafone who, with Serbian Vladimir Vujasinovic in the side, cruised past Sirens Hard Rock Cafe in their last match.

Complacency may have caused Sliema's downfall against San Giljan in the opening match of the championship after the split following the first two rounds.

The Blues looked out of sorts and struggled to impose their play. This evening, Sliema will have to produce a far better performance as they play a Sirens side that cannot afford to lose a second consecutive match or they risk slipping out of the challenge for the honours very early in the campaign.

Media facilities

With the start of the second phase of the summer league last weekend, it was very satisfying to note that the programme of matches was adhered to in terms of punctuality.

This was also due to the facility in the adjacent diving pool which can now again be used for warm-ups prior to matches. The pool area looks in ship-shape condition now and one hopes there will be no need for refurbishment on a big scale, at least for the near future.

With regards to the working environment for the media, electric fans would certainly ease the discomfort of journalists having to endure the intense heat in the top floor, the area assigned to the press.

Until last weekend there was still no sign of them. The other jarring note is the lack of communication between the ASA match secretariat and the journalists. Team lists are still not being provided prior to the start of the matches, that is when they are needed most.