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Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Top-flight water polo returns with new national franchise tournament
TOP-FLIGHT water polo is set for a resurgence in South Africa with the kick-off of a new national franchise tournament that is set to bring over 150 players, coaches, referees and support staff to Nelson Mandela Bay in August. Sponsored by leading automation manufacturer Jendamark, the inaugural event of the South Africa Water Polo Winter Series will see 112 of the country's elite senior players drafted into four men's and four women's squads that are set to churn up the water of the Newton Park Indoor Pool from August 8 to 10. The new Winter Series is similar in concept to the SA20 cricketing format, introducing a franchise system to help level the playing field and offer an alternative to the regional dominance of Western Province and Gauteng teams in inter-provincial competition. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads It also marks the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed South Africa Water Polo (SAWP), which has successfully challenged Swimming South Africa in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport. Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who is also the title sponsor's director of operations, said adding a new franchise event to the national calendar would reinvigorate senior competition and extend the season beyond the traditional autumn finish. 'This franchise format creates a fresh dynamic that's both exciting to watch and allows players to compete strength for strength. Our sport is not going to get stronger if only the top provinces are getting stronger.' With the game gaining traction at top schools countrywide, Lokotsch said it was important to reignite competitive senior water polo, while also promoting grassroots development. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'For SA Water Polo, it's really about the broader development of the game and being more inclusive. We want to create opportunities that give young athletes from all backgrounds something to strive for,' he added. Lokotsch said year-round development would be at the heart of SAWP's efforts, with the Nelson Mandela Bay region creating the blueprint of what this could look like. With the help of volunteers like Claudia Charles, a former water polo player whose eldest daughter, Jenna, now represents Eastern Province, the Learn to Polo development programme is introducing children in the northern areas and township schools to swimming and, ultimately, water polo. 'I'm so grateful to them for seeing the need to develop. Water polo has a rich history in the Northern Areas, and the Gelvandale pool played a big role in getting kids into the sport when I was at school. But with lack of infrastructure and systems support, it fell away. 'It's a great privilege to be part of this, especially with that pool reopening again, it's a light of hope, and I'm so grateful to Siegfried and his team for putting in some serious support and investing in these children,' said Charles. The after-school programme, which is already underway, started with an assessment of the children's swimming abilities, followed by twice-weekly training sessions with a qualified swimming coach to develop fitness and strength before introducing them to the basics of water polo. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads Chapman High School teacher Shari Kemp said the Gelvandale-based school was happy to have been included in the programme. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'It means a lot to the learners. They don't always have the opportunities or the resources. So, for them to be involved in such an amazing programme, with people who know so much about the sport, is a great learning opportunity. They're a bit nervous but excited to learn.' Transport to and from the heated Newton Park Indoor Pool is covered by SAWP's regional structure, with further plans to introduce a summer programme, led by a professional coach, at the Gelvandale pool. 'The idea is to identify and nurture emerging talent throughout the programme, and possibly get them into water polo-playing schools,' explained Lokotsch. 'There is so much rugby talent coming from under-resourced schools, and this is where we are missing a trick. I believe rugby players make the best water polo players, and vice versa. Some of our Springbok stars, like Malcolm Marx, were also great at polo. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'So, there's a real opportunity to unlock that untapped potential. We're best in the world at rugby; we could also be best in the world in the water,' he said. A development clinic for players, coaches and referees will be an anchor element of the Winter Series schedule, and proceeds from the weekend tournament will be used to fund the schools programme. advertisement Don't want to see this? Remove ads 'You only get one chance to have your first event, and if we make a splash here, and we really ignite something, I think you're going to see the start of some serious growth,' said Lokotsch. If successful, the new Winter Series format will be expanded to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban next year. DM
The Herald
18-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Top-flight water polo returns to Nelson Mandela Bay
Top-flight water polo is set for a resurgence in SA with the kickoff of a new national franchise tournament that is set to bring more than 150 players, coaches, referees and support staff to Nelson Mandela Bay in August. Sponsored by leading automation manufacturer Jendamark, the inaugural event of the SA Water Polo Winter Series will see 112 of the country's elite senior players drafted into four men's and four women's squads that are set to churn up the water of the Newton Park Indoor Pool from August 8 to 10. The new Winter Series is similar in concept to the SA20 cricketing format, introducing a franchise system to help level the playing field and offer an alternative to the regional dominance of Western Province and Gauteng teams in interprovincial competition. It also marks the first national tournament run under the auspices of the newly formed SA Water Polo, which has successfully challenged Swimming SA in court for the rights to promote the interests of this growing sport. Tournament director Siegfried Lokotsch, who is also the title sponsor's director of operations, said adding a new franchise event to the national calendar would reinvigorate senior competition and extend the season beyond the traditional autumn finish. 'This franchise format creates a fresh dynamic that's both exciting to watch and allows players to compete strength for strength. 'Our sport is not going to get stronger if only the top provinces are getting stronger.' With the game gaining traction at top schools countrywide, Lokotsch said it was important to reignite competitive senior water polo, while also promoting grassroots development. 'For SA Water Polo, it's really about the broader development of the game and being more inclusive. We want to create opportunities that give young athletes from all backgrounds something to strive for.' Lokotsch said year-round development would be at the heart of SA Water Polo's efforts, with the Nelson Mandela Bay region creating the blueprint of what this could look like. With the help of volunteers such as Claudia Charles, a former water polo player whose eldest daughter, Jenna, now represents Eastern Province, the Learn to Polo development programme is introducing children in the northern areas and township schools to swimming and, ultimately, water polo. 'I'm so grateful to them for seeing the need to develop,' Charles said. 'Water polo has a rich history in the northern areas, and the Gelvandale pool played a big role in getting kids into the sport when I was at school. But with lack of infrastructure and systems support, it fell away. 'It's a great privilege to be part of this, especially with that pool reopening again, it's a light of hope, and I'm so grateful to Siegfried and his team for putting in some serious support and investing in these children.' The after-school programme, which is already under way, started with an assessment of the children's swimming abilities, followed by twice-weekly training sessions with a qualified swimming coach to develop fitness and strength before introducing them to the basics of water polo. Chapman High teacher Shari Kemp said the Gelvandale school was happy to have been included in the programme. 'It means a lot to the learners. They don't always have the opportunities or the resources.' ' Transport to and from the heated Newton Park Indoor Pool is covered by SA Water Polo's regional structure, with further plans to introduce a summer programme, led by a professional coach, at the Gelvandale pool. 'The idea is to identify and nurture emerging talent throughout the programme, and possibly get them into water polo-playing schools,' Lokotsch said. 'There is so much rugby talent coming from under-resourced schools, and this is where we are missing a trick. 'I believe rugby players make the best water polo players, and vice versa. Some of our Springbok stars, like Malcolm Marx, were also great at polo. 'We're best in the world at rugby; we could also be best in the world in the water.' A development clinic for players, coaches and referees will be an anchor element of the Winter Series schedule and proceeds from the weekend tournament will be used to fund the schools programme. — Jendamark
Daily Maverick
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Talent pool — water polo's grassroots revival kicks off in Nelson Mandela Bay
Organisers hope the new tournament will become the SA20 of water polo as it seeks to rebuild the sport from the bottom up. On a winter's day this week in Nelson Mandela Bay, a group of kids from across the metro – some of whom only recently learnt to swim – clamber into the Newton Park Indoor Pool. They're here for water polo, a sport long associated with elite schools but now being reimagined for everyone. From August 8 to 11 the very same pool will host some of the country's top water polo players in what organisers hope will become the SA20 of water polo – a fast-paced, high-energy tournament designed not just to thrill spectators, but to rebuild the sport from the bottom up. 'We want to put another event in the calendar which gives people more competitive water polo,' says Duncan Woods, a former national water polo player and one of South Africa Water Polo's (SAWP) founding committee members. At the heart of it is the SAWP Winter Series, powered by Jendamark – the first official tournament launched under the newly formed SAWP banner – a breakaway body that's challenging Swimming South Africa's long-standing grip on aquatic sports in the country. The formation of SAWP – and this inaugural Winter Series – marks the beginning of a new chapter for the sport, and potentially a new economic and sporting opportunity for Nelson Mandela Bay. The new tournament – with four men's and four women's teams – introduces a national draft system designed to level the playing field. These teams won't be regionally bound, but blended – deliberately so. The teams were selected through a position-by-position draft aimed at ensuring equal strength across the board. For each position – such as goalkeeper – players were ranked according to their highest level of representation, and then distributed evenly among the teams. 'You only get one chance to have your first one, and if we make a splash here and we really ignite something, I really think we are going to see… the start of potentially some serious growth,' says Siegfried Lokotsch, chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay Water Polo and director of the Winter Series. But this tournament isn't only about national players and coaching strategy. It's also about building from the ground up – in schools and communities where water polo has never been an option. One of the most compelling aspects of the Winter Series is what's happening off the scoreboard: the series is tied to a broader, year-round development programme called Learn to Polo, which introduces kids from Northern Areas and township schools to swimming and water polo. With support from local schools and driven by passionate volunteers like Claudia Charles, the initiative includes swim training, transport support and monthly outings to the Eco Pool in Seaview. The programme has already begun – bringing in kids from under-resourced communities and teaching them how to swim, then how to play. The programme starts with swimming. From there, they are taught the basics of water polo. Nolan Kemp, a regional committee member involved with development, echoes the sentiment, saying they want water polo 'to be available to everyone'. 'I spend a lot of time presenting at schools in the northern areas, so the kids know the opportunity is there for them,' he said. The hope is that, in a few years, the next generation of South African water polo players won't just be coming from elite schools but from a broader, more diverse talent pool. 'For me, it's not just about the performance. I want everybody to be able to have access to it and be able to play. If I can get one player out of it, then we've done our jobs,' Lokotsch says. A coaching development component has also been added to the tournament. Lokotsch says the idea is to run the Winter Series in a way that showcases elite play while still making space for younger players and aspirant coaches to be part of the experience. 'Every franchise will have shadow coaches, and every kid playing at the development clinic will be exposed to seeing the top players in the country,' he says. SAWP has also partnered with the Elevate programme to offer free online coaching accreditation to aspiring coaches in the region – nearly 90 people, from school leavers to parents, have already signed up. The scale of the event will be unprecedented for Nelson Mandela Bay water polo. With 160 players and 16 coaches involved – plus referees, administrators and fans – the numbers quickly add up. 'If each person has one person coming to support them, or two people, you've now got 600 people coming,' Lokotsch says. 'I've been in the game a long time, and there's never been so much to be optimistic about as right now,' Woods adds. DM
