The first official water polo match was played on Saturday at Gozo’s Sports and Aquatic Pavilion between Malta and Portugal in preparation for the 2026 European Championships in Belgrade.

Present for this friendly match was Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri, who congratulated the Maltese team on their 19-17 victory over Portugal and wished them further success in the future.??

Minister Camilleri expressed his satisfaction that as soon as this pavilion was inaugurated, it began to be used by Gozitan residents and sportsmen, and as intended, it also began to attract sports tourism to Gozo. The Minister stated that, “what we promised is being fulfilled as one of the main goals was that through the Pavilion, we attract sports tourism and international games to our island.”

He added that “the work in this sector, together with other entities, will continue in the coming weeks and months.”

The Maltese national Water Polo team played a total of 3 preparation matches against Portugal, with two of them being played in Malta and the last one in Gozo. The series of friendly matches forms part of the Maltese national Water Polo team’s ongoing training and international preparation programme as they prepare for next year’s major tournament.

Photo: DOI

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