Controversial decision at the World Cup: Ukraine lost by default due to a boycott of the match against Russia
13 April 23:46
A major scandal involving the Ukrainian national team erupted at the Water Polo World Cup. The Ukrainian athletes refused to take the field for their match against the Russian team, which was competing under so-called neutral status. As a result, the referees awarded the Ukrainian team a technical defeat.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
What happened at the tournament
The incident occurred at the 2026 World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Cup, Division 2, currently taking place in Malta. In the match for 7th place, the Ukrainian national team was scheduled to play against the Russian team, which was admitted to the competition under a “neutral” flag.
However, the Ukrainian water polo players refused to take the field. Despite this, tournament officials awarded the Ukrainian team a technical loss with a score of 0-5.
Why the Ukrainians refused to play
According to the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, the decision not to take the field was a matter of principle for the team. The federation had previously requested that the match be canceled, but the organizers did not agree.
Thus, the Ukrainian side attempted to prevent the match from taking place, but after refusing to participate, they were still awarded a technical loss.
What was the final score
As a result of the incident at the World Cup, the Ukrainian team was awarded a 0-5 technical loss. This was the official final score of the match, which effectively did not take place due to the boycott by the Ukrainian athletes.
Consequently, our national team finished in eighth place at the Men’s Water Polo World Cup in Division 2.
What could be the consequences for Ukraine
Oleksandr Dyadyura, a representative of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, told Suspilne Sport that potential sanctions against the Ukrainian team due to the boycott of the game, in addition to the technical defeat, could also include suspension at the national team level across various age categories.
According to him, the international federation could take various approaches. One option is minimal sanctions or even no additional punishment. However, there is also a harsher scenario: disqualification of the federation from future international competitions in all age categories.
In other words, the consequences of this decision for Ukrainian water polo could turn out to be much more serious than just a lost match.
What the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation is saying
The president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, Oleksandr Svischov, called World Aquatics’ decision to allow Russians to compete starting in 2026 immoral. He called on the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and international sports institutions to take decisive action against the legalization of Russian sports under a white flag.
In fact, the federation believes that the participation of Russians under so-called neutral status does not change the essence of the problem and remains unacceptable.
