Water polo is one of the most popular sports in Malta, with the level of clubs being quite high.^[1]

Maltese Water polo is administered by the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, with a respective section dedicated to this sport.^[2] Water polo activities are sponsored by Bank of Valletta.^[3]

Water polo was played in Malta at the turn of the 20th century, and was already a well-contested sport in the 1920s, when Lord Plumer, then Governor of Malta, thought about the possibility of entering a Maltese team in the 1924 Summer Olympics. Eventually Lord Plumer left his post but the Maltese enterprised through the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, then called Amateur Swimmers Association.^[4] This was refused by the Dutch organising them on the grounds that Malta was not a country, and after a legal battle ensued for Malta to be able to accede, Malta entered the 1928 Summer Olympics.^[4] It is worth noting that this process also led to the creation of the Malta Olympic Committee.^[5]

Previously there were much more teams,^[6] and there was even a league system specific to Gozo only.^[7] Currently the clubs are:

The Maltese Water polo league currently features 12 teams in two divisions:^[3]

• Maltese Waterpolo Premier Division - 6 teams
• Maltese Waterpolo First Division - 6 teams

Malta has qualified for the 2016 Men's European Water Polo Championship^[8][9] and the 2018 Men's European Water Polo Championship.^{[10][11][12][13][14]}