Water polo-Italy to miss World Cup after ban for abusing officials at Paris Games

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Water Polo - Men's Classification 5th-8th - Italy vs Spain - Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France - August 09, 2024. Athletes of Spain and Italy stand for the national anthem before the game. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo

(Reuters) - The Italian men's water polo team will miss next year's World Cup after they were handed a six-month suspension for abusing referees and officials following their quarter-final loss to Hungary at the Paris Olympics.

The 2023 World Cup silver medallists were also fined $50,000 by the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) adjudicatory body.