FINA introduces waterpolo to PNG

THE FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Aquatics Day began in Port Moresby at the Taurama Aquatic Centre with the introduction of waterpolo.
Young and old came together to play a new aquatic discipline with Papua New Guinea Swimming Inc. (PNGSI) hosting and celebrating the inaugural event with waterpolo matches.
“The FINA World Aquatics Day was launched to celebrate and encourage the power of aquatic sports for social wellbeing and development in all corners of the world,” FINA president Dr Julio Maglione said.   A total of 208 national member federations affiliated to FINA were invited to celebrate the day.
“The main objective is to encourage people around the globe to participate in physical activity.”
The day provided an excellent opportunity to introduce, promote and encourage the sport of waterpolo into PNG.
Non-elite athletes, children, swimmers, past swimmers, coaches, technical officials, all came together to partake in the event with a common objective – to enjoy aquatic physical activity.
“We were very fortunate leading up to the FINA World Aquatics Day to have a FINA development waterpolo clinic for coaches that was held in Port Moresby at the Taurama Aquatic Centre,” PNGSI president Elizabeth Wells said.
“It provided a great opportunity and a pathway to introduce the game into PNG with Aleksandr Osadchuk, the high performance manager of the Waterpolo programme at the Queensland Academy of Sport, conducting the clinic and teaching the art of officiating on the day.”
Teachers, coaches and officials interested in learning the game of waterpolo came together.