“Water Polo Development in the Americas”.

2nd FINA World Aquatics Convention 2012

By Eugenio Martínez FINA Bureau Member AMERICA CONSANAT

Argentina Bolivia Brazil Colombia Chile Ecuador Guyana Paraguay Peru Surinam Uruguay Venezuela TOTAL: 12 Countries 3 CONSANAT 8 countries practice competitive Water Polo: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Perú, Uruguay and Venezuela .

Water Polo in Bolivia and Paraguay is in early stages of development.

Suriname and Guyana do not practice Water Polo.

4 CONSANAT TOURNAMENTS

• South American Championships (open category) which is the classificatory tournament for the continental and Pan American Games. • South American Junior Championships every two years. • First Level Championships every two years. • Austral Cup. • Pacific Cup. • South American Club Championships every two years. • South American Games every four years.

5 TOURNAMENTS AT NATIONAL LEVELS Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia have a national league for First Level and summer and winter events for juniors.

Chile, Uruguay and Peru focus their development in a few clubs. In the last three years, they have developed programs that have started to show results.

6 CCCAN • • Antigua – Barbuda • Virgin Islands • Netherlands Antilles • Jamaica • Aruba • • Bahamas • • Barbados • • Bermuda • Puerto Rico • British Virgin Islands • Republic • Cayman Islands • St. Kitts & Nevis • • St. Lucia • Cuba • St. Vincent and the Granadine • Dominica • Trinidad & Tobago •

• Grenada • Total: 26 Countries

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CCCAN

• Water Polo is played in more than 12 countries.

• Most countries rely on the off season to have their national water polo tournaments, either sponsored by their federations or by the high school system.

8 CCCAN TOURNAMENTS

• Central American Games, every four years.

• Central American and Carribbean Games, every four years.

9 CCCAN TOURNAMENTS

1. CCCAN Championship 3. CAMEX Championship every two years. for and Mexico, every two years.

2. CISC Championship for the Caribbean Islands, every two years.

10 Canada • Organized by clubs. Male in the East and female in the west.

• National teams received support from Government, Olympic Committee and scholarships.

• Canada is their own zone, so they classified directly to PANAM Games and PANAM Junior Championships.

11 USA • Developed an "Olympic Development Program" designed to train and identify players, coaches, and referees for National Team exposure and participation for all levels and age groups including Cadet, Youth, Junior and Senior Teams for both Men and Women.

• Based on the educational system and a preferential programs for National teams.

• Massive practice. 12

USA • There is an internal growing process to solve the disparity between the East and West.

• Each region selects teams to participate in Regional National Championships at which National Team Coaches select athletes to participate in National Team Selection Camps.

• USA Collegiate Schedules and Regulations sometimes limit the availability of the athletes to train and compete. 13

International Level Women 2009 2010 2011 2012 World League Canada 2nd USA, 5th USA ,5th USA,1ST Canada ,7th

World Cup USA , 1st Canada ,5th

World USA ,1st USA,6th Championships Canada,2nd Canada ,8th Brazil, 13th Cuba,10th Brazil,14th

Olympic Games USA,1st

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International Level Men 2009 2010 2011 2012 World League USA,5th USA,4th USA,4th places Canada,7th

World Cup 2010 USA , 1st Canada ,5th

World USA,4th USA,6th Championships Canada,8th Canada,10th Brazil,13th Brazil ,14th

Olympic Games USA,8th

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INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE • Players for UANA countries play in international leagues: –Brazil –Canada –Cuba –Mexico –Puerto Rico –United States – Colombia • This participation has enhanced our national teams and our national programs. • More and more countries are encouraging and sponsoring their players to participate in this leagues.

16 NATIONALIZED PLAYERS Outstanding players have obtain another citizenship and moved to represent other countries, such as: – Ivan Perez, former Cuba national team player plays for Spain. Amaury Perez (no related to Ivan), former Cuba national team player plays for Italy. – The Peronne`s brothers, former Brazil national team players plays for Spain.

17 FINA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

• FINA’S Men's Water Polo Development Trophy has been a great tournament for overall development of UANA’s male water polo programs. • Countries from our continent that have benefited from the tournament are: –Colombia –Puerto Rico –Netherland Antilles –Trinidad and Tobago –Chile –Uruguay –Peru

18 UANA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

• UANA has to develop stronger strategies to develop more participation within and among our countries - More tournaments should be sponsored by UANA • National Men • National Women • Junior Men • Junior Women • Club • Masters

19 SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH - Good overall talent . - Strong showing in female international tournaments from USA and Canada, and from USA in male. - Up and coming developing water polo programs, such as Trinidad and Tobago and Peru.

20 SWOT ANALYSIS • STRENGTH –Strong Junior Tournament results . • USA • Canada • Brazil

–New world class facilities • Guadalajara, Mexico • Veracruz, Mexico • Toronto, Canada • Mayaguez, Puerto Rico • Medellín, Colombia

21 SWOT ANALYSIS WEAKNESSES –Distance between participating countries. –Distance between UANA countries and Europe, where the highest level of Water Polo is played. –Lack of tournaments within participating countries. –Lack of international results with the exception of USA overall and Canada in female.

22 SWOT ANALYSIS WEAKNESSES –Lack of well equipped training centers. –Lack of massive practice of sports, where to find talented players, in comparison with other sports such as soccer. –Most resources come for Government which are very limited and very little come from private companies.

23 SWOT ANALYSIS • OPPORTUNITIES –FINA Development Water Polo Trophy. –Youth Tournament. –World League.

24 SWOT ANALYSIS • THREATS –Change of citizenship of top regional players. –Elimination of women’s water polo at continental and regional competitions.

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Thank you!

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