Youth Championships triumph is proof of how far SA Water Polo can go
The head coach of the South Africa u18A boys’ team, Jon-Marc de Carvalho, says their gold medal triumph at the recently concluded Australian Youth Water Polo Championships is a testament to the competitiveness of SA schools’ water polo.
The South African side ended the tournament unbeaten. In the final, they defeated Sydney Northern Beaches (SNB) Breakers 5-4 on penalties after the clash had ended in a pulsating 10-10 draw.
“Any win is pleasing. This one is especially pleasing as it’s a tournament we’ve never competed in before, and to come out on top really shows the talent we have in SA,” coach DeCarvalho told SuperSport Schools Plus.
South Africa produced entertaining water polo throughout the event, scoring 36 goals as they placed second in their group.
In the cross-pool playoff matches, they thumped the Mantas Blues 19-7, then convincingly beat the Polo Bears 21-6 and the Hunter Hurricanes 13-4.
In the last four, they edged the Melville Sharks in a shootout to secure a place in the final.
Despite the side’s dominant results, De Carvalho admitted it was tough getting the combinations right, as he had a star-studded squad from which to pick.
“Getting the right combinations was probably the hardest part with this team,” he reckoned.
“With such limited time together as a unit, the training camps and the first few games were used to work out those combinations.
“In the end, we went with as many provincial combos as we could, so that the guys were as comfortable as possible with the teammate next to them.
“Certain positions, we simply rotated each game, but others ended up being set combinations.”
It was South Africa’s debut appearance at the Australian tournament, with the side being selected after the conclusion of last year’s SWPSA Inter-Provincial Tournament in Johannesburg.
An Australian side from Brisbane, the Aussie Crocs, participated in the South African event for a second successive year. They were impressive, playing a high-tempo game, which put teams under pressure, and all those qualities gave the SA provincial sides a taste of what to expect Down Under.
“The level of polo was at a really high level [in Australia]. The top teams were well-drilled and particularly fast transitioning from defence into attack,” De Carvalho said.
“That was our biggest challenge at this tournament. All the teams here had played together for years, and we were a jigsaw puzzle, a put-together team, with little time together.
“What we did have was a lot of ‘gees’ and determination, which allowed us to come back and briefly move ahead in our two toughest games, the semi and final.
“So, the pressure was certainly put on us, but we came back every time. This can only be done with strong belief and good preparation.”
While the u18 boys’ side won gold in the A-division, the u16 girls’ team took home silver, and the u16 boys also dominated their division, winning it.
Those results, according to coach De Carvalho, are proof that South Africa can compete with the best in the world.
“This is huge for SA ‘polo,” he said.
“It proves that we are right up there with players in the top 10 nations in the world, while at the school level.
“We then, unfortunately, drop off when we transition to university and senior levels. It’s something we need to improve upon.
“The system in Australia, with a lot of their clubs associated with their universities, gives them a clear pathway and transition to the highest levels of water polo. They also have a well-set-up national league, so the continuity and development thrive.”
