The Russian women's water polo team inflicted a crushing defeat on their German counterparts in the match that brought them together as part of the second division of the World Cup currently being held in Malta.
Russia rained down twenty-six goals on their German counterparts, while Germany scored only four. Russian Bella Markoch was named Player of the Match after scoring five goals.
Earlier in the tournament, the Russian team, competing under its national flag and with its national anthem played, also achieved a great victory over its Argentinian counterpart with a score of 33 to 11.
This tournament is the first that the Russian national team has participated in under the auspices of the International Aquatics Federation (World Aquatics) since its participation in international competitions was suspended in 2022.
On April 13, the International Federation announced the lifting of all restrictions imposed on Russian athletes, allowing them to participate using national symbols in all aquatic sports supervised by the International Federation.
As part of the preliminary round of the World Cup, the Russian national team is also scheduled to face South Africa today. Based on the overall standings, the top eight teams will qualify for the knockout stage (final qualifying round).
The second division of the Women's Handball World Championship, being held in Malta, continues until April 26. These competitions serve as qualifiers for the World Championship finals, scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia, from July 22 to 27.
