San Ġiljan MAA Daikin have been crowned champions of the BOV Water Polo Premier Division Winter League following victory with 25-24 scoreline in the decisive play-off match against Sliema Techfinity Hub Ltd.
The league reached a dramatic conclusion after Sliema secured a win over San Giljan in the final round of the regular season to draw level on points with the Saints at the top of the standings. Both teams finished the campaign with identical records, underlining the competitive nature of this year’s Premier Division.
With the title still undecided, a play-off match between the two sides was required to determine the champions.
Sliema started strongly, opening a 4-1 advantage in the first session through goals by Benji Cachia, Liam Galea and Dino Zammit, while San Ġiljan struggled to make the most of their man-up opportunities.
The second session saw San Ġiljan fight back impressively. Goals by Nikolai Zammit, Matthew Zammit and Dean Bugeja erased the deficit after Sliema had appeared in control at 6-3. Despite Sliema restoring a two-goal cushion through Galea before the break, the match had completely swung in intensity and momentum.
The third session remained evenly balanced, with both sides exchanging goals throughout. San Ġiljan repeatedly clawed their way back through Nikolai Zammit, Ben Plumpton and Jeremy Abela, but Sliema continued to respond through Cachia,
Galea, Engerer and Zammit to hold a narrow 12-10 lead heading into the final quarter.
The final session produced remarkable drama. Goals by Luigi Dimech and Russell Caruana levelled the score before Plumpton gave San Ġiljan their first lead of the match with a spectacular back shot. Sliema responded through Benji Cachia, but the turning point came when Liam Galea was excluded for brutality, leaving Sliema a man down for the remainder of the match. Plumpton converted the resulting penalty and later added another goal to put San Ġiljan 15-13 ahead.
Sliema refused to surrender. Dino Zammit and Benji Cachia brought the score level again at 16-16, while San Ġiljan goalkeeper Kaszanyi produced a decisive penalty save from Elijah Schembri to keep his side alive.
The contest then went to a marathon penalty shoot-out packed with tension and quality finishing from both teams. Jeremy Abela, Luigi Dimech, Darren Zammit, Nico Schiavone and Ben Plumpton all converted for San Ġiljan, while Sliema matched them through Jake Cachia, Dino Zammit, Elijah Schembri and Benji Cachia. The decisive moment finally arrived when Benji Cachia missed his attempt, sealing a dramatic championship triumph for San Ġiljan.
This victory also marks a remarkable milestone for San Ġiljan MAA Daikin, who have now secured the Winter League title for the fourth consecutive year, further consolidating their status as one of Malta’s leading water polo clubs.
The trophy was presented to the champions by Ernest Agius, Chief Operations Officer at Bank of Valletta, together with Karl Izzo, President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, who congratulated both teams for their outstanding performances throughout the season.
Through its continued partnership with the Aquatic Sports Association, Bank of Valletta reaffirms its commitment to supporting local sport and promoting excellence within the Maltese water polo community.
