Malta bags exciting groups in European Water Polo Championships

The draws for all age-group European Water Polo Championships were conducted on Friday in Zagreb. From June through to early September, excitements are guaranteed in the U16 and U18 events which will feature 30 countries in five cities across Europe.

Malta will be featured for the women’s U-18 tournament which will be played between the 1st and 9th September at the National Pool in Tal Qroqq, Gzira

The water polo tournaments in an explainer

Two age groups will contest six events in five cities, as the continent’s best young water polo warriors face an exciting summer of action. Besides seeing thrilling match-ups in the Group Stage of each competition, the best news perhaps is that 30 countries entered at least one national team, which demonstrates how water polo is reaching new levels in several territories.

The men’s U18 Europeans has the most participants – 30 – and this event, just like the men’s U16s, shall be played across two venues.
Leaving the former system behind, where half of the field were eliminated in the qualification tournaments in the spring, now all entrants are welcome to the summer show.

The top 16 shall play in the Elite meets, while the developing national teams can test themselves in the Division One tournaments.

The chance is also there to move up as the top-two ranked sides from Division One can compete in the Elite league in the next edition.

In the women’s European Championships, the top eight sides are drawn in Group A and B, while the rest are in Group C or D.

The top two in Group A and B  will advance to the quarter-finals,. The third and fourth ranked teams will play a crossover against the highest-ranked Group C and Group D contenders.

Here, the winners not only reach the quarters, but will have a spot in the top division at the following tournament in two years’ time.

Draws – Age-group European Water Polo Championships

U16 Men
Elite (Manisa, 7-13 July)

Group A: Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Türkiye.
Group B: Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Croatia.
Group C: Malta, Netherlands, Georgia, Moldova.
Group D: Germany, Romania, Israel, Poland.

Division One
(Ljubljana, 7-13 July)

Group A: Bulgaria, Slovenia, France, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovakia.
Group B: Czechia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Bosnia & Hercegovina.

U16 Women
(Manisa, 27 June-3 July)

Group A: Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Serbia.
Group B: Greece, Italy, Croatia, Germany.
Group C: Türkiye, Czechia, Slovakia, France.
Group D: Israel, Romania, Ukraine, Malta.

U18 Men
Elite
(Oradea, 18-24 August)

Group A: Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands.
Group B: Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia.
Group C: Türkiye, France, Romania, Poland.
Group D: Germany, Malta, Georgia, Ukraine.

Division One
(Rio Maior, 18-24 August)

Group A: Slovakia, Czechia, Moldova.
Group B: Bulgaria, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark.
Group C: Israel, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria.
Group D: Lithuania, Portugal, Finland.

U18 Women
(Gzira, 1-9 September)

Group A: Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Türkiye.
Group B: Spain, Greece, Israel, Croatia.
Group C: Serbia, Malta, Ireland, Ukraine, Germany.
Group D: Slovakia, Great Britain, Romania, Switzerland, Czechia, Bulgaria.