U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK : In Water Polo, Deck Stacked Against Her

Sandy Nitta has competed in the Olympics, but she thought it was more exciting when she advanced to the final table last May in the World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas.

“For two days I couldn’t sleep,” said Nitta, the U.S. women’s national team water polo coach since 1980. “The final table was like a major swim meet.”

Nitta, a professional gambler from Las Vegas, competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics at Tokyo in the 200-meter breaststroke. But she gravitated to women’s water polo, which is struggling to become an Olympic sport.

Working for years as a volunteer coach, she supplemented her income by gambling. She finished fourth at the World Series, earning $5,000 on a $75 entry fee investment.

When Nitta, 42, is not holding the cards, she concentrates on the status of women’s water polo. She said that officials of USA Water Polo are hoping the women’s game will be accepted into the Olympics in time for the 1996 Games at Atlanta.

“It has been the same thing over and over again,” said Nitta, who visited Long Beach this week to watch her players participate in the U.S. Olympic Festival. “It’s one big runaround.

“Beyond our circle, we’re not getting anywhere. It’s so frustrating because they pay lip service and then behind the scenes nothing gets done.”

Nitta placed much of the blame on Algerian Mustapha Larfaoui, president of FINA, the international governing body of aquatic sports.

“He doesn’t like women’s water polo,” she said.

She said that the situation has been difficult for her players, who are not eligible for the Olympic Jobs Program sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee. As a result, the national team members must find employers who allow them to travel to tournaments two months out of the year.