Polo's Christine left high and dry by mix-up

Christine Barretto has survived major obstacles to her burgeoning reputation as one of the top South African waterpolo players... until the latest sickening blow that ruled her out of this month's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

After Barretto's family immigrated to Ireland from Durban at the end of her matric year in 1998, she refused to give up on her dreams. She juggled two full-time jobs in Ballycullen, on the outskirts of Dublin, working up to 91 hours a week, first to pay off a loan that allowed her to go to the Junior World Cup in Italy in 1999 then later to save enough money to enable her to return and prepare for tournaments.

The 21-year-old Barretto toured the Czech Republic twice and Slovakia once with the senior women's team and captained South Africa at the Junior World Cup in Italy.

Even Swimming South Africa's (SSA) decision not to allow the senior women to compete at the World Cup in Japan last year because they "lacked in international experience" failed to dampen the spirits of the "hole" man, waterpolo parlance for an old-fashioned soccer centre forward.

Despite having spent six months training for Japan, Barretto returned once more. But the latest body-blow - when she was ruled out of the Commonwealth Games team at the 11th hour because she had not registered in time - has devastated her.

At issue are SSA's regulations that stipulate water polo players have to be registered by April when their season only begins in October and runs till the following March.

These are designed to suit swimmers and make no allowance for polo players. Indeed, they have never been enforced till now and they seem cruel in a sport where competitors have to finance trips out of their own pockets. While Barretto has resigned herself to the fact that SSA won't relent on their original ruling, she is keen to ensure that there is no repeat of this situation.

"I feel that this whole situation was dealt with in the wrong way," she emphasised, "and all I ask is that in future the rules and criteria be made clear to coaches and players alike. I hope that something positive emanates from this unpleasant experience."

She says that had she known she was not eligible for selection, having returned too late to participate in the the Kramer League and the national trials, she would not have done so.

"Against the advice of my family, I decided to give it another shot for the Commonwealth Games. I knew I would have to work really hard and save. At one stage, I was working 91 hours a week."

"The timing of the trials, which were held from January 6, were extremely bad for me because in order to book a flight at this time would have doubled the price, and my family went through a crisis. Our house was broken into and ransacked. Many possessions were stolen, including our car. To top it all, I was held up at knifepoint while at work on New Year's Eve.

"I wasn't going to come back at all at this point, but (the coach) Brad Rowe convinced me to come back. I returned on January 20 and have been training every morning and evening. I was positive about the trip and Mr Rowe was motivating us into aiming for bronze medals.

"I was utterly crushed after all that you now know I have been through to get to this point in my polo career to hear that it has to end like this. I have given so much back to polo in this country, every time I'm in the country I coach at Durban Girls High and I used to help out and organise clinics for beginners with Mr Rowe."

Stephen la Marque, who has just resigned as chairman of the SA Waterpolo Board "because certain aspects of the sport have become unmanageable", conceded that Swimming SA were within their rights to block Barretto.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow and I really feel for Christine and Brad. But they've done their homework. We (waterpolo) haven't," he added. "However, it's sad because waterpolo is a fast-growing schools sport for girls."

"I fully understand where Swimming SA are coming from. They stood by their rules years ago when they denied Peter Williams and Penny Heyns a place at the world short-course swimming champs because they hadn't competed at the national champs. They're doing the same thing here."