10 water polo players and coach sanctioned after pleading guilty to betting charges

Ten water polo players and a coach were handed suspensions and fines by World Aquatics after they admitted to breaching the Integrity Code following an international investigation.

The Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) within World Aquatics issued the sanctions on Wednesday, handing a series of suspensions, fines, and therapy mandates to 11 individuals after confirming that they repeatedly broke strict sport integrity rules. The list of suspensions is found here.

The sanctions bring to an end a six-month saga that began in January, when the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sports (AIMS) flagged suspicious online gambling activity during the European Water Polo Championships finals. 

The initial reports rocked the local sporting community with allegations that national team players were placing bets on their own tournament fixtures – specifically intending to manipulate goal differences in matches against heavyweights like Montenegro – while competing at the European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

A subsequent Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) report revealed that up to 15 individuals were tied to a profits cluster of bets.

In its deliberation on the case, the AQIU found no evidence of match-fixing but found that the 10 players and coach have all breached the World Aquatics Integrity Code by placing online wagers on water polo events while registered as active athletes or personnel. 

All 10 players and the coach who were handed penalties admitted their wrongdoings in writing and had their suspensions significantly reduced while also agreeing to co-operate with the AQIU in educational initiatives to raise awareness against betting within the aquatics community. 

Jeremy Abela and Ben Plumpton were initially suspended for four months but had their bans reduced to one month, with the other three months suspended provided they did not commit another breach over the next two years.

Abela and Plumpton must also undergo treatment for gambling addiction.

Jake Tanti, Jake Bonavia and Liam Galea were also initially handed a four-month ban, which has now been reduced to one month, with the other three months and a $750 fine suspended and will only come into effect if they commit another breach of the Integrity Code or World Aquatics rules within the next two years.

Alec Fenech, Dean Bugeja, Kyle Navarro, Aiden Muscat, Jacob Saliba and coach Matthew Pace all received a suspended three-month ban, which will take effect if they commit another breach of the Integrity Code or World Aquatics rules within the next two years.

The players who have received an effective suspension are ruled out of their club commitments in the ASA’s Summer Championships until the semi-final stage of the competition.

World Aquatics ruled that, considering the nature of the infringement and to safeguard the integrity of the competition, they are not permitted to attend any aquatics-related events, including their club’s matches, even as a spectator in the stands.

The suspended players are also not permitted to train with their club during the period of suspension, nor train in the same venue while an official match or other aquatics-related event is taking place, including in an adjacent pool within the same facility.

In its statement, the AQIU reminded 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,” it said.

“Athletes participating in the Olympic Games are also prohibited from betting on any Olympic event or competition.”