Josephine A. Borg, of Birkirkara, writes:

Alex Vella's latest contribution on swimming (The Times, September 28) again shows the poor state in which this sport lies at the moment on our islands.

Swimming is one of the top disciplines in major international events and considered by many as a no.1 attraction, along with track and field. In most countries, swimming is a top priority even in schools but in Malta the story is different.

Here, we have a group of volunteers dedicating hours of their free time to run the Swimming Board, an administration that caters for young budding swimmers, most of whom with the sole ambition of representing the country one day in their careers.

But are their efforts being appreciated by the authorities - the government, Malta Olympic Committee, Malta Sports Council or even the ASA itself?

I say hardly ever.

There were other complaints published before, all highlighting the problems hitting the sport, mainly the poor state in which the facilities at Tal-Qroqq are being kept.

How many times have clubs, delegates, swimmers and parents complained on the below-standard temperatures of the water in the pools?

This has been going on for years now and we always get the same old and unconvincing replies.

Almost nothing has been done to change the situation.

True, results in Athens by our two representatives were not really encouraging. But, could they have done better considering the unfavourable circumstances which were all clearly highlighted in Mr Vella's article.

Dr Michael Gialanze was frank in his comments. He seems to be a man with a vision and his words should not go unheeded. He has good reason to be worried if the pool is again closed for a long period.

The Swimming Board is doing all it can to appoint a new national coach in time for next year's Games of the Small States of Europe.

But results will be difficult to come if the swimmers' training programme is again interrupted in crucial stages of their build-up.