Water polo is one of the most captivating and fast-paced games in the world, combining virile sportsmanship, quick action, and athletic stamina. It has enjoyed enduring popularity with Maltese sports fans for decades and has been at the heart of the work carried out by the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta (ASA).

The legacy of Malta’s men’s water polo National Championships is famous for its fierce competitiveness and ardent fan base. Both the winter and summer leagues are amongst the most well attended competitions in Malta. Eleven teams participate in these competitions, and are ranked in the Premier and First Division leagues. The format of the competitions is decided periodically by the ASA Council. At present, the summer season kicks off with the President’s Cup, a match between the League Champions and the Knock Out winners of the Premier Division, the Ghaqda Gurnalisti Sports Cup, and the Super Cup, the equivalent for the First Division and the Women’s Division, respectively.

The Knock Out competitions are held simultaneously with the leagues and all teams battle it out to add another trophy to their club’s silverware.

Apart from organising the summer league and Knock-Out competitions, the ASA is responsible for the youth divisions programme. Summer months include league competitions for age groups under 13, 15, 17, and 20. The latter three age groups also play in a winter league, whilst festivals are organised for the under 11 teams.

The talented club players form part of Malta’s National Water Polo teams, both male and female, at junior and senior level. The ASA is proud to support these teams, providing the right infrastructure for them to be able to flourish at international competition level.

2015 was a historic year for Maltese water polo as both the Junior (U17) and the Senior team qualified for the finals of the 1st European Games (Baku, Azerbaijan) and the European Water Polo Championships (Belgrade, Serbia) respectively. The Senior men’s team placed 15th in the final ranking beating Turkey on penalties, whilst team player Steve Camilleri was top scorer of the Championships.

The Women’s National Team participated in the 2016 EU Nations Junior Women Water Polo Competition in Odense Denmark, the first ever participation by the Women’s Team in local history. They placed 4th overall and exceeded all expectations.

In our local competitions, we engage both foreign and local referees to control matches of the top divisions. A number of Maltese referees’ qualifications are recognised by the LEN and the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), giving them the opportunity to officiate international matches.

The ASA is responsible for the smooth running of all local tournaments, but has also been entrusted to host prestigious international competitions such as the LEN European Junior Water Polo Championships (1985, 2007, 2013), the LEN Champions League, the LEN Euro Cup, the COMEN Water Polo Cup and the European B Water Polo Championships (1996 and 2000). We are currently enjoying one of the most exciting chapters in the history of Maltese water polo and it is our ambition to see water polo named as Malta’s national sport. We join our players, coaches, referees, and supporters in their unwavering enthusiasm for the seasons ahead.