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| SPORTS | TOP LEFT: TYPICAL SAVE BY ADRIAN CACHIA FOR NEPTUNES. KINGS OF THE SEA CHARLES CAMENZULI meets the Cachia family. ABOVE: ADRIAN CACHIA IN ACTION RIGHT: SIMON CACHIA - PROMINENT WITH MARSAXLOKK WPC ‘Neptune’: according to Roman mythology the definition is ‘King of the seas’. Neptune is also the third largest planet in the galaxy. Hailing from the Neptunes Waterpolo Pitch, the Cachia family, long associated with this club, is definitely the largest on the Maltese waterpolo scene. The 2 nd World War exodus from the Cottonera area included the Cachia family who like others moved to settle in St, Julian’s. For half a century, the Cachia surname has been synonymous with the waterpolo scene in St. Julian’s, and within the Neptunes’ clan established a dynasty well worthy of being stamped as ‘ Kings at Sea’. The forerunners of the Cachia Waterpolo history were Harry, Josie, Victor, Tony and Paul. According to media colleague and waterpolo historian Leonard Zammit, in his publication to commemorate the 75 th Anniversary of Neptunes WPC, “another family name which has left its mark on the club’s history is Cachia. However, there is a distinctive and more versatile imprint which is carried here. The Cachias are associated with all that waterpolo offers – playing, administrative and refereeing contributions.” For the Cachia family members, the Neptunes’ clubhouse soon became their second home. Back in the 50’s and 60’s both Victor and Paul figured in various Neptunes’ formations. Josie in the 50’s was Neptunes’ goalkeeper in the reserves league, while Victor also formed part of the Neptunes swimming team that went on to win various aggregate cups and National Championships. With Neptunes, Paul won two League titles and 4 K.O Competitions. In 1972-73, he played for Balluta W.P.C (now San Giljan WPC) where he finished as the club’s top-scorer for both seasons and joint top scorer with Guzi ‘l-Ors’ Attard in the 1973 National League. Tony, who chose to opt for the administration of the club, was so successful in that role that he went on to become a long-standing Secretary of Neptunes WPC for a total of 14 years, until 1985. He was again re-elected for the 1991-1993 term of office. When Victor and Paul’s playing days were over, they went on to become waterpolo referees, qualified both within the A.S.A and as international referees with the Ligue Europeenne de Natation (LEN) - the leading body of European waterpolo. And a new generation of the Cachia family went on to have a further impact on local sports. Henry, Stephen and Julian, sons of Harry, the elder of the Cachia’s, chose to become leading figures in hockey - both members and players with Sliema Hotsticks. Victor’s sons Anthony and Edward as well as Tony’s sons Adrian and Leonard together with Paul’s sons Paul and Simon took up waterpolo. Henry and Stephen, under the guidance of Augustus Tortell and the late Alfred Crockford, following success at U-14 and U-16 level, were the backbone of Sliema Hotsticks. Stephen championed with his runs down the right wing and Henry right in the heart of the defence. Together with Sliema they won three League Championships, four Knock-Out competitions, one Challenge Trophy and two Super Cups. In October 1994, they led the Malta National team in the 1 st Mediterranean Cup in Sicily for the tie against Italy. That day was Malta’s return on hockey’s international scene after 20 years. Stephen retired from competitive hockey in 2003, though Henry is still a permanent figure in the Sliema HS defence. Ignoring hockey, Michael and John VICTOR CACHIA COACHING PAUL CACHIA TONY CACHIA 36 L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06
| SPORTS | PICTURES FROM TOP DOWNWARDS: TOP: 1989 - THE FOURTH CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING SIDE FOR THE CACHIAS ABOVE: VICTOR CACHIA STANDING 2ND FROM RIGHT. – sons of Henry, opted for football and both have been present in the U-14 and U-13 Melita F.C. sides. John has even started training in waterpolo – with none other than Neptunes. Back to Adrian and Leonard’s waterpolo’s accolades. Both Adrian and Leonard have won the Waterpolo National Championship for a total of six editions and have established a unique record of being the only brothers to win a National Championship together for four consecutive years between 1986 and 1989. As Adrian won six championships with Neptunes, Leonard featured with the 1997 Marsascala winning squad to add to his five previous Neptunes successes. In 1990, Adrian was chosen by the Amateur Swimming Association as the ‘Waterpolo Player of the Year’ and as he emphasised; “That was a particular year. Having lost the championship after four successes in a row during which the team remained unbeaten, Neptunes still managed to win the Knock Out. I was chosen as ASA Player of the Year - according to statistics I was the third goalkeeper, following Michael Soler (Sliema ASA) in 1973 and Joe Caruana Dingli (Valletta) in 1987, to win that honour. Since 1990, no other goalkeeper has won the ASA individual major honour.” Adrian Cachia further recalls that: “In 1990 I was also one of the finalists in the Sportsmen of the Year awards together with Mario Genovese (table tennis), Michael Degiorgio (football) Jesmond Giordemaina (wrestling) and Jean Paul Fleri Soler (boardsailing). This was yet another experience to be challenged with such leading figures in local sports.” Another six-championship-medals figure in Anthony’s career, is his younger brother Edward, one of the current members of the first string of Neptunes, who has just had his first championship win. Edward has already won both the K.O Competition and winter league on a number of times. Paul’s son Simon had mixed fortunes with Sirens following his baptism at Neptunes and currently plays for Marsaxlokk . The Cachia family is like a never-ending story and with 15 year old Gianluca Galea, son of Marisa, sister of Anthony and Edward, taking up the reigns, he is bound to lead the way for a new generation of Cachias to appear as Neptunes WPC stars. . THE CACHIA FAMILY IN FULL SQUAD : FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: PAUL , ANTHONY, VICTOR, JOSIE, HARRY AND THEIR SISTER GEORGINA IN FRONT. ADRIAN CACHIA IN ONE OF THE INNUMERABLE PRESENTATIONS AS NEPTUNES WPC CAPTAIN. STEPHEN CACHIA (FIRST BACK) AND HENRY CACHIA (LEFT SQUATTING) IN A 1996 FORMATION OF SLIEMA HOTSTICKS H.C. LEONARD CACHIA IN ACTION Hailing from the Neptunes Waterpolo Pitch, the Cachia family, long associated with this club, is definitely the largest on the Maltese waterpolo scene. L&S | SEPTEMBER ’06 37
Page 1: SEPTEMBER 2006 - ISSUE 48 & S T Y L
Page 4 and 5: | COSMETICS 1 | COSMETICS PRODUCERS
Page 7 and 8: | CELEBRITY INTERVIEW | a lifetime
Page 10 and 11: | DATING | Pulling a FAST ONE In th
Page 13 and 14: | GROOMING | HAVING AN EDGE IN THE
Page 15: | ISSUES | How to be a DOMESTIC GOD
Page 18 and 19: | BITS | Home Remedy - When it all
Page 20 and 21: NET TELEVISION SCHEDULE 2006 House
Page 22 and 23: NET TELEVISION SCHEDULE 2006 Replay
Page 24 and 25: | LIFE&STYLE | | WELL-BEING | PILAT
Page 27: | HAIR | PERFECT GROOMING FOR YOUR
Page 31 and 32: | FOOD | LIGHT & EASY We’re havin
Page 33: | FOOD | SPAGHETTI WITH CHERRY TOMA
Page 38: | RADIO | A PRECOCIOUS HISTORIAN Fr

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