The women’s national team, coached by Anthony Farrugia, recently returned from a training camp in Ortigia, Sicily.

During this camp the waterpolo girls had joint training sessions with the home team and also played a few friendly matches, including one in Catania against L’Orizzonte, the Under-18 champions of Italy.

This training camp served to give Farrugia’s players international exposure and gauge their strengths and weaknesses against stronger opposition.

Between April 1 and 3, 2016, the women’s junior team will be playing in the EU Nations Cup in Odense, Denmark.

The final selection for this tournament will be made by Farrugia, along with ASA head coach Karl Izzo, closer to the competition next year.

Following the success of the men’s national teams at junior and senior levels, the ASA, together with the national coaches, felt it was the right time to revive the women’s team with the aim to attract more youngsters to the sport.

The ASA is urging its coaches to up the level of the women’s game for them to emulate their male counterparts on the international scene.

Farrugia’s squad will continue with their preparation for the EU Nations Cup with training programmes scheduled both in and out of the pool.

They are also participating (out of competition) in the U-15 and U-17 Winter League.

The players who made the trip to Sicily were:

Abby Bonello (Exiles), Michela Bonello Ghio (Neptunes), Elena Borg (Exiles), Louise Cachia (Sliema), Karla Camilleri (Exiles), Sophie Camilleri (Neptunes), Ana Culic (Sliema), Carla Engerer (Sliema), Lisa Fenech (Sliema), Sasha Lecuyer (Exiles), Denise Micallef (San Ġiljan), Letizia Millo (San Ġiljan), Kendra Navarro (Neptunes), Michela Zammit (Exiles) and Francesca Paolella (Sliema).