This year’s BOV Winter League will have an auspicious start as two heavyweights of the local game, Sliema and San Ġiljan, will herald the 28-match competition which starts on March 1.
The draws were made at the Aquatic Sport Association (ASA) headquarters yesterday by Peter Perotti, Chief Officer Bank of Valletta, in the presence of the association’s president Joe Caruana Curran and newly-appointed general secretary Marco Manara.
There will be eight teams participating, including the ASA junior selection who will be playing out of competition.
The other teams are Exiles, Marsaxlokk, Neptunes, San Ġiljan, Sirens, Sliema and Valletta. They will be confronting one another over a single round.
The competition will end on Saturday, May 4 with the fixture between Sirens and San Ġiljan.
There will be no matches on March 9-10 due to the general elections.
Caruana Curran gave an overview of this year’s first competition, also welcoming Marsaxlokk who will be back in the playing fold after two years.
He then referred to the representative teams, thanking the national coaches Karl Izzo and Anthony Farrugia, for their endeavours in preparing their respective sides.
The national team will be engaged in the forthcoming Euro Championship qualification round in Denmark in April and the juniors will be competing in the Euro Championship which Malta is hosting in September.
Caruana Curran said that it is hoped that the senior side, currently ranked between 13th and 18th in Europe, will overcome the disadvantage of playing when not at their match practice peak in relation to the levels reached by those of other countries.
The ASA president then thanked the sponsors BOV without whose support the local competitions would not be what they are, generating interest and enthusiasm as was the case in recent years.
The ASA said there will be no deciders if the top-placed teams finish on equal points. It will be the head-to-head clash which will be decisive. Otherwise it could be their results against other opponents finishing third and so on.
Perotti lauded the ASA for the smooth running of the competitions and augured that the national coaches would reach their objectives when their teams are engaged in international competitive commitments this year.
Opening fixtures
March 1: 18.45 Sliema vs San Ġiljan; 20.00 Marsaxlokk vs ASA Youths.
March 3: 10.45 Neptunes vs Exiles; 12.00 Sirens vs Valletta.