Izzo confirmed as new ASA president

Caruana Curran pulls out of race before AGM

Karl Izzo is the new president of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta after Joe Caruana Curran pulled out of the race hours before the election.

This unexpected twist saw Izzo receiving the approval of the delegates present to be confirmed as the new president of the association for the next three years.

Caruana Curran’s withdrawal brings an end to his 12-year stint as president which has seen aquatic sport, particularly waterpolo achieve unprecedented success.

For Izzo, his election as president of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta is the start of a new chapter in his career after a long successful coaching career.

Izzo has been the coach of the senior waterpolo for the past nine years he successfully managed to lead the team to four successive qualifications to the European Championship finals.

His best achievement arrived in this year’s edition when the team secured an historic 14^th placing.

But now Izzo is set to embark on arguably his biggest challenge of his sporting career as he will take over the reins of aquatic sport in Malta.

“I am delighted to have been elected as president of the Aquatic Sport Association of Malta,” Izzo told the delegates shortly after his election.

“It is of great privilege for me to have been chosen to serve as president of one of the biggest associations in Malta. This is governing body of prestige, success and that has an exciting future awaiting it.

“I would like to acknowledge former president Joe Caruana Curran who has been an instrumental figure in the success attained by our association in the last few years. The doors of the association will always remain open for him. I also would like to thank Rita Azzopardi and Anthony ‘Panelli’ Farrugia and the ASA Executive Committee who were also an integral part of this success.”

Izzo said that now the real work starts as he looks to put the governing body on stronger foundations.

“Today it is the start of a new journey for the aquatic sporting family in Malta,” he said.

“As I said in the past weeks, my biggest priority is that we introduce more professionalism, financial stability and transparency in how we lead this organisation, bringing in more valid people to its fold.

“As from tomorrow, we will be looking to start to implement my electoral programme, which has been formed after meeting all the stakeholders in our sport.

“To this end, in the coming days, I will be announcing a new administrative team and will also announce a person that will be responsible of

the association’s operations and will make sure that these proposals will be implemented.”

Meanwhile, during yesterday’s meeting there was also the election for the post of vice-president administration and development.

Randolph Cauchi managed to win the highest number of votes in the poll that put him up against former incumbent Carlo Mifsud.