10 Maltese Water Polo Players, 1 Coach Sanctioned In European Championships Gambling Scandal

European Aquatics, the World Aquatics Integrity Unit, and Maltese authorities have concluded an investigation into the breach of betting rules by 10 Maltese Men’s Water Polo National Team players and 1 coach.

Five of the athletes were given a four month sanction, with three of those months and a $750 fine being waived if they commit no further infractions over the next two years. The remaining athletes and the coach were given three month sanctions, with all three of those months suspended pending completion of other requirements.

In addition, all 11 individuals will “participate in educational and awareness initiatives over the next five years, working with the AQIU to strengthen understanding of betting-related integrity risks and contribute to the prevention of future violations across the aquatics community.”

Abela and Plumpton must undergo treatment for gambling addiction.

The suspended players will be ruled out of their club commitments for the Maltese Summer Championships, with the athletes who have to serve suspensions being absent until at least the semi-final stage. They are not permitted to attend any aquatics-related events during their suspensions, even as spectators, or train with their clubs. They also cannot train in the same venue as an official match or other aquatics-related event, including an adjacent pool within the same facility.

While the press release didn’t provide many details about the nature of infractions, they did say that none of the sanctioned athletes wagered on matches in which they participated and that there was no evidence of match manipulation or match fixing.

The investigation began amid concerns over match fixing at the European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia earlier this year, with initial reports alleging that they may have manipulated goal differences in matches. Up to 15 individuals were tied to the bets.

Further reporting by the Times of Malta says that suspicious online gambling activity was flagged by the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports (AIMS) during the European Water Polo Championships finals.

All admitted to the offenses in writing, which led to reduced sanctions for many of them.

As the global rise of online gambling has infiltrated almost every portion of modern life, with new platforms allowing people to wager on everything from sports to politics to the weather, the World Aquatics Integrity Unit took the opportunity to remind athletes that it is against the rules for all aquatic athletes and athlete support personnel to bet on any aquatics discipline, and further that athletes participating in the Olympic Games are prohibited from betting on any Olympic event.

“The AQIU reminds all athletes and athlete support personnel that betting on any aquatics discipline is strictly prohibited under the World Aquatics Integrity Code. This prohibition applies regardless of the level of competition and includes both placing bets directly and facilitating betting by others. Athletes participating in the Olympic Games are also prohibited from betting on any Olympic event or competition.”

The Maltese men’s water polo team is currently ranked 20th in the world by World Aquatics rankings. The country went 0-3 in group play at the European Championships in Belgrade in January, losing their matches by an average of 11 goals each. They played in a powerhouse group that included Hungary, Montenegro, and France.

That relegated them to the “classification round,” where they defeated other last place group teams Slovakia, Slovenia, and Israel to finish 13th – their best-ever finish (previously: 14th in 2022).

Full Sanctions List

All sanctions referenced Article 15.1 (a) of the World Aquatics Integrity Code related to betting and the integrity of sport.

While all athletes have recently been members of the Maltese National Water Polo Team, only Plumpton, Bonavia, Tanti, Frenech, and Galea were on the 2026 European Championships roster.