In this episode of the Waterpolo Expert Talk, Karl Izzo, President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, gives an in-depth look at the current structure, challenges and future vision of water polo and aquatic sports in Malta.

Izzo shares his personal journey from being a former Maltese national team player and head coach to becoming the president of the federation. During his 10-year tenure as national coach, Malta qualified four times for the European Championships, an исторический milestone for the country. Today, as federation president, he is responsible for four disciplines: water polo, swimming, artistic swimming and open water swimming.

A major focus of the conversation is the unique Maltese league system, which is divided into:
- Winter competitions without foreign players
- A high-profile summer league with international stars
- During the summer season, thousands of spectators attend matches, and world-class players from Europe compete in Malta. This gives local athletes the opportunity to train and play alongside the very best and significantly boosts the level of the national team.

Key topics of this episode include:
- Structure of the Maltese summer league & foreign player system
- Development of young players through multiple seasonal competitions
- National team rebuilding with a very young squad
- Sending players abroad to Italy, Montenegro & the Balkans
- Transition from head coach to federation president
- New safeguarding and education committees
- Coach education programs for swimming, water polo & artistic swimming
- Statute reforms, disciplinary rules & transfer systems
- Building volunteer structures in a small sports nation
- Sponsorship, funding & hosting international tournaments

Izzo also explains why Malta recently invested in its first indoor Olympic-size pool, how school sports and youth academies are being strengthened, and why long-term structures matter more than short-term results.

This episode offers a rare insight into how a small nation builds sustainable water polo and aquatic sport structures from the grassroots to the national team.

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