Sliema waterpolo club accuses San Ġiljan ASC player of biting

A water polo club in Sliema has accused a San Ġiljan ASC player of biting two of its players during a match on Wednesday. 

In an open letter published on Thursday, the Sliema Aquatic Sports Club (Sliema ASC) said a member of San Ġiljan ASC had “displayed behaviour unbecoming of the sport’s spirit by biting two of our players during the game.”

The club called on the opposing St Julian’s club and the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta (ASA Malta) to join it in “strongly condemning” the incident and to open disciplinary proceedings against the offending player.

“Such actions not only violate the rules of water polo but also the principles of respect and fair play… we believe that there is no place for violence or misconduct in sports, and it is imperative that all athletes adhere to the highest levels of sportsmanship.”

Alongside the open letter, the club also posted Facebook photos which appear to show bite marks on the bodies of two of its players.

Meanwhile, video footage of the match that was being broadcast live seems to show incidents of two players being tackled by another player, who in each clip appears to have his head submerged underwater.

The Sliema club said the player responsible for the alleged biting had a “history of similar incidents” and faced disciplinary action in the past for “violent action and/or misconduct”.

It urged the association to “take this matter seriously and ensure that the integrity of our beloved sport is maintained.”

News of the incident quickly attracted condemnation from Facebook users, who blasted the alleged behaviour as “barbaric”, “shameful” and “disgusting”, with one user describing the offending player as a “savage animal” that should be disqualified.

Sliema ASC did not name the player in question. 

On Thursday afternoon, fellow water polo and swimming club Neptunes WPSC took to social media to join Sliema ASC in condemning the alleged incident.

In a post on Facebook, it said Wednesday’s match was “not the first incident involving the San Giljan ASC player in question as there have been numerous instances of biting and other violent actions perpetrated by the individual concerned.”

Criticising the player’s club and the association for “failing to take action”, Neptunes WPSC said the player had last week been cleared of “blatant violent conduct” against one of its players – something it said had become a “frequent occurrence”.

“Had the Aquatic Sports Association and the Disciplinary Commissioner taken appropriate action then yesterday’s deplorable incidents (including violent actions) would not have occurred. Such unsportsmanlike conduct is unacceptable and has no place in water polo.”

Responding to the claims, San Ġiljan ASC said in a statement on Thursday afternoon it was taking the accusations “very seriously” – however it also said it did “not accept any pointing of fingers”.

It claimed its own players had “also been victims of aggressive play and abusive behavior by opposing players” and had “suffered permanent injuries”, and said it had evidence to support the claims.

“When similar incidents involved both Sliema and Neptunes players, we never saw such statements from these clubs… Additionally, it is now clear that even the fiercest of rivals seem to teaming up in an attempt to undermine San Ġiljan ASC.”  

It called on all water polo clubs to promote “fair play and respect” within the sport and said it would be dedicating its efforts to “upholding the highest standards of conduct among its players.”