Otters Aquatic Sports Club has said that as a result of the high winds last Thursday and Friday that swept across the islands, especially Marsalforn, Gozo which is badly affected by northerly winds, the pitch and other facilities at the Club suffered extensive damage.

In a statement today President of the Club Dr. Enzo Dimech, and Club Secretary Dr. Daniel Calleja, said that "the complete destruction of the breakwater has exposed this popular tourist resort to gigantic waves which year in year out destroy everything that stands in their way."

The Club added, "at the beginning of June of this year, the waterpolo club, after several weeks of intensive work by its' various committee members, have put in the sea a brand new waterpolo pitch inside the bay at Marsalforn and restored the netting which surrounds the pitch preventing jellyfish entering into the same pitch."

"Apart from the work involved in setting up the pitch, a considerable amount of money was spent by the Club to purchase and deliver this pitch from abroad. These collective efforts made over a span of several weeks vanished in the space of two days when gigantic waves caused extensive damage to the same pitch and netting."

The Club said that, currently Otters ASC cannot hold training sessions for their players whilst the team is competing in the waterpolo championship. Therefore, it said, the competitivity of the same team and preparation for future games will suffer a huge and serious setback.

Furthermore the Swimming School that Otters ASC organises every summer, in which more than 100 children attend and benefit from, is severely threatened because of this storm and the state of the pitch, the statement said.

Otters ASC urged the competent authorities to "prioritise the re-construction of the breakwater as soon as possible in order that the effects of waves are mitigated" and stressed that the construction of a pool in Gozo has become a must.

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