The Maltese National Women’s Water Polo team finished as runners-up in the International Women’s Waterpolo Tournament held at the Cottonera Complex on January 3 and 4, 2026. This performance followed the women’s team’s first-ever international participation at the 2016 EU Nations Junior Women Water Polo Competition and recent U16 and U18 European Championship involvements, highlighting the continued development of women’s water polo in Malta.

The Final: Malta 13–15 Slovakia

In a closely contested final on Sunday, January 4, Malta narrowly lost to Slovakia. Elena Borg was the standout performer for the hosts, scoring an impressive seven goals. The other Maltese scorers were Martha Perici Ferrante (2 goals), and Chloe Amato, Zaira Bartolo, Nevise Agius, and Kendra Navarro with one goal each. Slovakia secured the tournament title with 15 goals distributed among their players, with Baranovska, Halicova, and Kackova each achieving a hat-trick.

Tournament Highlights

Malta’s journey to the podium featured resilience and solid victories:

• Debut Match: Malta opened the tournament with a “nail-biting” 12–13 loss to Slovakia. Elena Borg netted five goals in this initial encounter, while Zaira Bartolo added three.
• First Tournament Win: The team bounced back to register a historic 13–12 victory over Firenze. Hat-tricks from both Elena Borg and Chloe Amato, with strong support from Zaira Bartolo, Nevise Agius, and Martha Perici Ferrante, proved decisive.
• Second Victory: Malta secured their place in the final stages with a convincing 11–6 win over Volturno. Elena Borg once again spearheaded the attack with five goals, ensuring safe passage to the final.

Final Standings and Top Scorer

The tournament was a significant success for the Maltese women’s water polo team, showcasing its ability to compete strongly at an international level. Elena Borg emerged as the team’s top scorer, demonstrating remarkable consistency across all matches.