ASA clubs approve controversial changes in homegrown rules for waterpolo competitions

New regulations introduced to stop Ivan Nagaev from playing with Neptunes as Maltese player

The Aquatic Sports Association’s Council meeting last Saturday approved a controversial motion that changes the status of a homegrown player in local competitions for the 2026 season.

San Ġiljan proposed that every club should have only one non-homegrown player in the water.

However, in their motion, San Ġiljan contended that homegrown players are those who participated in ASA-recognised local junior competitions for a minimum of three full competitive seasons between the ages of 12 and 20.

Added to that, any player who was eligible to participate in senior competitions as a Maltese national up to the end of season 2025, under the statutes and regulations then in force, may continue to be registered and fielded as a home-grown player.

San Ġiljan’s motion was submitted in a bid to deny Russian-born player Ivan Nagaev the opportunity to play for Neptunes as a Maltese player during this season’s competitions.

Late last year, Nagaev was granted a Maltese passport on merit by the authorities, making him eligible to play for the national team at the European Championship finals in Belgrade in January.

Since Nagaev did not play with a homegrown status in last season’s competition, he is now ineligible to play as a Maltese player, and Neptunes, who acquired his services in November, will have to field the player with a non-homegrown status.

During Saturday’s meeting, the ASA top officials, who did not have a vote on the issue according to its statute, tried to convince the clubs against approving this motion as it’s not only discriminatory but also breaks the EU fundamental rights on equality.

The Times of Malta is informed that Dr Herman Mula, who is in charge of the ASA legal team, made it clear that the motion proposed was not acceptable from a legal point of view as it denies a person his right to work.

He asked the clubs to delay the vote on the motion as it could have serious legal repercussions.

A source close to the ASA told the Times of Malta that the club officials were also informed of the strong opposition taken by the Maltese Olympic Committee, SportMalta, and the Authority for Integrity of Maltese Sport.

AIMS sent a strong-worded letter to the clubs to warn them of the serious repercussions a vote in favour of this motion would have on them and water polo in general.

The MOC and SportMalta wrote similar letters opposing the motion, and all of these letters were circulated to the clubs before Saturday’s meeting.

However, the vote was still taken, and the motion was passed with seven votes in favour, two against, and three abstentions.

Still, the issue is unlikely to stop here, as Nagaev last week already filed a judicial protest over the motion and is expected to seek legal action against the ASA and clubs on the new regulations.