Ukraine has withdrawn from its World Water Polo Cup match against Russia
An unusual situation arose at the 2026 World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Cup (Division 2) being held in Malta. According to the schedule, the national teams of Ukraine and Russia (Neutral Athlete B) were set to face off in the seventh-place match on April 13.
The Ukrainian team refused to take the field for this match.
Oleksandr Svischov, President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation (UWPF), who has previously repeatedly emphasized the inadmissibility of the presence of representatives of the aggressor country on the international stage, announced that Ukrainian athletes would not take the field for this match.
The UWPF president’s position remains unwavering: the admission of so-called “neutral” athletes constitutes a “cynical disrespect for the memory of war victims.” And this categorical stance is supported by all Ukrainian water polo players and the team’s coaching staff.
Head coach of the national team Oleksiy Shvedov is fully in solidarity with the federation’s leadership. He emphasized that the concept of “neutrality” for a team representing the Russian Federation is a fiction.
“The team cannot play a match against ‘neutral’ athletes because there is no such thing as neutrality in a team representing Russia. As coaches and professionals, we understand that sport does not exist in a vacuum. Every player on that side is a representative of a system that is destroying our country. Taking the field against them would mean recognizing their right to be part of the global sports community, which they have deprived themselves of through their own actions,” noted Oleksiy Shvedov.
Oleksandr Svischov emphasized: “Every time we are offered ‘sports rivalry’ with the Russians, I and our entire sports community remember the countless victims and hardships suffered by our people and state, the thousands of cities and villages destroyed, the suffering of millions of our compatriots, and the terrible grief inflicted on our country!”
“Therefore, Ukraine will not play against those who are destroying our lives and our future. Our only possible path is the complete isolation of the aggressor until justice is restored. Sports is a battle of wills, but not at the cost of betraying our principles. For us, a technical defeat on the official record is a far more significant victory than sharing the field with representatives of the aggressor nation. The dignity of the nation is higher than any tournament result,” he added.
Oleksandr Svishchov is convinced that the only defeat truly worth fearing is moral capitulation: “We cannot shake hands with those whose country tries to destroy ours every day. Moral defeat before our own people, before our military and our children—that is the only loss we truly fear. Therefore, competing against the Russians is unacceptable to us. There can be no neutrality between the aggressor and the victim.”
He calls World Aquatics’ decision to allow Russians to compete starting in 2026 “immoral” and urges the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee and international institutions to take decisive action against the legalization of Russian sports under a white flag.
“Today, Ukrainian sports are also a front line. We choose to remain loyal to our country, not to rules that ignore the reality of war. Our unwavering position is that there is no place for an aggressor in civilized sports,” concluded Oleksandr Svischov.
Currently, the Ukrainian side is awaiting the organizers’ final decision. The FWU’s position is clear: the principles of Olympism and humanity take precedence over tournament points.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian national water polo team was awarded a technical loss for refusing to play against the Russians.
The International Olympic Committee declined to comment on statements by the Russian Minister of Sport and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee, Mikhail Degtyarev, who publicly supports the war against Ukraine.
Additionally, a Russian cycling champion was disqualified for doping.
