Camilleri a hit at Bogliasco

Both Maltese players, Steve Camilleri and Matthew Zammit, currently engaged with Italian waterpolo clubs are doing well as they are the driving forces in different ways in their teams' efforts to reach their objectives.

By virtue of their 11-9 home victory against Nervi on Saturday in the last round of the Italian top division, Camilleri's team, Rari Nantes Bogliasco, retained their status in the country's elite division, finishing in ninth place out of 12 contestants.

The Maltese player, on contract with the club from Genova since September last year, has had a very successful sojourn in Italy not only for being one of the core players of Bogliasco but also for ending as his team's top scorer with 41 goals.

This tally averaged almost two goals per match, and considering that the Maltese player was engaged in such high-quality competition, comprising some of the world's top players, this was remarkable.

Camilleri preceded his colleagues Arnaldo Deserti and Jeff Powers, the ace US player and an Olympic medallist, who netted 35 and 33 goals respectively.

Camilleri was also on target last weekend in a match which had him locked in covering battle with Nervi's Raimund Fodor, who last season played for Sliema ASC. Both players ended with honours even after almost cancelling out each other, scoring one goal apiece.

The Maltese player has definitely been a hit at Bogliasco, also keeping in mind that he finished in the top ten in the overall scorers' list and seventh in the foreigners' rankings of scorers.

Camilleri, 21, will very probably seek to extend his career in Italy after also enjoying a 'warming up' spell with Partizan Belgrade last year.

Meanwhile, he will be back playing for his Maltese team, Neptunes, in this summer's ASA competitions.

As for Zammit, the San Ġiljan centre who is playing for the Serie A2 Girone Nord team, Rari Nantes Imperia, this player's scoring rate is not so high but his contribution in winning several expulsions and penalties in his role as a centre has helped his team immensely.

Other than that, his 13 goals so far, all coming from open play, have also been very valuable. On Saturday, he scored one goal in his team's 9-8 victory over Modena.

RN Imperia are on 39 points, with Camogli four points adrift as these two teams are top of the table way in front of the others and looking ahead for the promotion play-offs to A1.

Two weeks ago Zammit was selected by an influential waterpolo website in the top seven players of his division in his role as a centre. Reports say that his coach, Stefano Piccardo, is very happy with his performances.

Zammit is also keen on extending his playing career overseas.

Zammit is due back in May and, like Camilleri, will be available to play for the national team in the qualifying European B Championships.