Australian team named for the FINA World Womenâ€™s Junior Water Polo Championships

Published Fri 16 Aug 2019

Water Polo Australia has announced the team that will contest the FINA World Women’s Junior Water Polo Championships.

The event will be staged on the Portuguese island of Madeira between 9-15 September 2019.

The 16-nation tournament has attracted many of the world’s heavy hitting water polo nations including the USA, Russia, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy and Greece.

The young Aussies will play Hungary, Japan and USA in the group rounds.

Head Coach Georgina Kovacs said solid opposition would offer the team quality game exposure.

“We are familiar with the game style and strengths of these countries, most girls have also had previous international experience versing youth/junior teams of Hungary, US or Japan.

“I believe the focus of our preparation has to be ourselves, and what we are trying to achieve each game. This is the one single thing we can control,” she said.

The Aussies will benefit from a training camp to be held in Athens (GRE) between the Greek and Chinese junior teams prior to their travel to Madeira.

Kovacs said events such as this were invaluable in the development of our next generation.

“There’s only limited time that we spend as underage athletes, and I believe it’s very important to gain exposure and learn to perform on this level,” she said.

“Youth or Junior World Championship would be the first major international steps on any athlete’s pathway, which can have a significant impact on transitioning to senior level.

“I would like to see us performing to our abilities, which means that everyone is fulfilling their role in and out of water and contributing to an effective team play. Being consistent, focusing on ourselves, and what we can control – taking it game by game.”

Kovacs said the team was looking forward to an exciting competition.

“It has been an honour to work with this age group during the past year, and I would like to thank all the parents, respective coaches and close network for their input and support towards these girls,” she said.