Sergey Markoch, who steered Neptunes to a fifth successive league title last summer, will no longer be in charge of the Balluta Bay team after he was recently appointed Kazakhstan national waterpolo team coach.

The Russian said it was a difficult decision for him to part company with “a club I had been familiar with for several years”.

“My connection with Neptunes started in 1993,” he said, “when I took over as coach in the latter stages of the season to help them win the league title, and then guiding the team to so many successes since 2010.”

Markoch, 51, will now have a prestigious assignment with the ambitious Kazakhstan national team, current Asian champions, as the Kazakhs will look forward to competing in the World Championships next year.

“This connection with the islands and Neptunes in particular was a truly affectionate one and my memories of a successful coaching stint will be somehow revived when I hope to visit Malta for a holiday after next year’s World Championships,” Markoch added.

Incidentally, Markoch was about to come over with the Kazakhstan team later this month as they were due to take part in a friendly international tournament organised by the ASA of Malta.

However, their participation was called off in these last days.

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