11 Maltese Water Polo Players Cleared Of Match-Fixing But Sanctioned Over Betting Breaches

Authorities also confirmed that none of the sanctioned individuals had placed bets on matches in which they themselves were competing, dispelling earlier concerns that surfaced when the investigation first became public.

Among those sanctioned are national team players Jeremy Abela, Ben Plumpton, Jake Bonavia, Jake Tanti and Liam Galea, who received four-month bans with three months suspended, meaning they will remain ineligible until the end of July.

Six others, including players Kyle Navarro, Alec Fenech, Aiden Muscat, Dean Bugeja and Jacob Saliba, as well as technical staff member Matthew Pace, received shorter sanctions that were fully or partially suspended.

In addition to the suspensions, all 12 individuals must complete integrity education and awareness programmes over the next five years.

The investigation first made headlines earlier this year amid reports that members of Malta’s national water polo team were being investigated over suspicious betting activity during the European Championships in Belgrade.

While speculation initially centred on possible match-fixing, Wednesday’s findings officially ruled out any manipulation of results, confirming instead that the breaches related solely to betting rules.

What do you make of this issue?

READ NEXT: Watch: A Shitty Situation - Resident Turns To Facebook After Man Defecates In Apartment Block

Gabriel Falzon

Gabriel Falzon is a social media executive at Lovin Malta, with a keen interest in digital media, local businesses, and the natural world. Outside of work, you’ll often find him baking up a storm, diving into video games, or exploring the endless corners of YouTube.