AUSTRALIAN 18&U MEN READY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS CHALLENGE

The Australian 18&U team have arrived in Argentina ahead of the World Aquatics Men’s U18 Water Polo Championships which will see the best 20 teams in the world battle it out in the pool for the coveted World Championship title from July 2 to July 9 2024.

The team have spent the last few weeks in Brazil, taking part in several intensive training sessions and playing in a preparation tournament with their hosts Brazil, Canada, and a local state U20 team to replicate competitive game conditions.

Head Coach Andras Jo-Kovacs said the team's focus has been on polishing their strategies and building and strengthening team cohesion ahead of the World Championships.

“Since arriving in South America, our work has centred on enhancing defensive setups, optimising offensive plays, and ensuring everyone is familiar with our game plan,” said Jo-Kovacs.

“The boys and support staff have shown great dedication, and the progress we've made is encouraging.  

“Our primary goal in Argentina is to compete at our best and make a strong impact in every game - a finish amongst the top 8 nations would be great. More importantly, we want to demonstrate the hard work and commitment the team has put in over the past year, showcasing the skills and strategies we've developed,” he said.

Regardless of the result, Jo-Kovacs noted that there will be several important and game-changing takeaways for each of the players from the international experience. 

“This experience is an opportunity for them to grow both as athletes and individuals - we want them to learn the value of perseverance, adapt to different playing styles, and prepare for the transition of becoming senior high-performance athletes,” he said.

“These challenges will be invaluable for their future, both within the sport and beyond.”

Team Captain Nick Mordes says the team is feeling confident ahead of the World Championships.

"Our training and practice games against Brazil, Canada and the local club team Sesi, have taught us how good we can be, but also what we need to focus on more," said Mordes.

"Our best waterpolo will be able to compete against the worlds top nations and I’m confident that we can play at our best every single game.

"We are not going to take any game for granted - we're preparing for fierce competition from the very first game.

"We're going to treat every team as if they are Hungary, Spain or Serbia, no matter their reputation and hopefully finish within the top eight teams at the tournament," he said.

Every game of the World Aquatics Men’s U18 Water Polo Championships 2024 will be streamed LIVE and FREE on the World Aquatics Youtube Channel - click here.

The Aussies will play their first game against Kazakhstan on Wednesday 3 July at 1am AEST.

Click here for the full schedule.

AUSTRALIAN 18&U MEN’S DRAW

Wednesday 3 July | 1am AEST | Australia v Kazakhstan

Thursday 4 July | 11:30pm AEST | Australia v South Africa

AUSTRALIAN 18&U WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

Sean Bright (UQ Water Polo, QLD), Ashton Brown (Sydney University, NSW), Harrison Cole (Sunshine Coast, QLD), Edward Handley (UWA, WA), Sebastian Houston (Melville, WA), Zac Izzard (Sydney University, NSW), Auguste Korac (Sunshine Coast, QLD), Daniel Magasanik (Melbourne Collegians, VIC), Tian Markart (UQ Water Polo, QLD), Jake Martin (Adelaide Vikings, SA), Nicholas Mordes (Melbourne Collegians, VIC), Felix Pal (Sydney University, NSW), Rex Palazzi (Cronulla, NSW), Lewis Saupin (Sydney University, NSW), Cory Webber (Sydney University, NSW)