MeDirect has extended its ongoing support for Otters ASC, Gozo’s only surviving waterpolo club, by also backing the commemorative publication which charts the first 50 years of the club’s history. The new book covers the club’s journey from its humble beginnings in Marsalforn in 1971 through to the modern era and its determined efforts to continue competing in national competitions despite the disadvantages which being based in Gozo creates.
Enzo Dimech, President of Otters ASC, said, “The fact that our club continues to participate in the National League in Malta at both senior and junior levels is testimony to the resilience and spirit of endeavour that has characterised Otters ASC since the very beginning. Indeed, in no other sport can a Gozitan side boast a forty-three-year uninterrupted participation in league and cup competitions at national level. It is this spirit that we are celebrating in the new book in the hope that it will also help to inspire future generations to keep waterpolo alive in Gozo.”
Otters ASC, in fact, began participating in the National League in 1980 following a clear decline in the waterpolo scene in Gozo which resulted in the Gozo Aquatic Association ceasing to organise its own league. The only remaining competition held in Gozo was the Ulysses Cup, which was won for a record fifth consecutive time by Otters in that same year, prompting the club committee’s decision to compete in Malta.
Although the club continues to attract considerable support in Gozo with a significant increase in the number of young waterpolo players and swimmers within its ranks, it’s efforts to compete continue to be hampered by the lack of all-weather training facilities on the island. This is something clubs in Malta have been able to benefit from since the construction of the fresh water heated National Pool in the early nineties.
Ingrid Micallef, Head of Marketing and Products at MeDirect, said, “Otters ASC is not only a waterpolo club. It is also family and community oriented, aiming to develop and hone the swimming skills of children and youths, while also providing a healthy environment that is conducive to the proper development of youngsters. This is the positive philosophy which MeDirect also wishes to promote among younger generations, hence our support for this club and this interesting and inspiring publication.”
A must read for all waterpolo lovers. More information is available at https://www.ottersasc.club/otters-50th-anniversary-book-launch/
