The Maltese waterpolo contingent was greeted by a rousing welcome yesterday afternoon from enthusiasts, friends and relatives, after the impressive performance the players gave during the European B Championships which ended on Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden.

The team, under the guidance of coach Dirk Dowling, clinched third place to win the bronze medal, after beating Turkey.

In the group matches Malta had the better of Denmark, Belgium and Belarus but lost to eventual group winners Turkey.

At the quarter-finals stage, Malta defeated hosts Sweden but then lost to Poland in the semi-final.

Malta obtained sweet revenge when it mattered most on the Turks in the match for third place between the losing semi-finalists.

Poland won the gold medal after beating Ukraine, who had to settle for silver.

Also at the Malta International Airport to greet the ASA contingent yesterday was Jesmond Mugliett, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport.

Prestigious result

He said that the third place obtained was an historic moment for our sport, as this was one of the best results ever to be achieved by a Maltese team on the international scene.

The Parliamentary Secretary said that he was more than satisfied that this result came about following the progress made by the athletes who are making full use of the current facilities available.

The ASA president Robert Ebejer and coaches Dirk Dowling and Anthony Farrugia were over the moon by their achievement.

All officials agreed that they now have to be cautious and meticulous in order to maintain the high standard they have set at these championships.