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KNYSNA NEWS - While canoe polo may still be a sport that the mainstream public remains unaware of, Knysna Canoe Club boasts a strong group of players who continue to make strides in the sport.
A sport which has been around in the traditional format for centuries, canoe polo's modern format first came about in the early 1970s after a demonstration event at the National Canoe Exhibition at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, England in 1970 gave birth to the sport in the UK.
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It is actually played with a kayak, but because of the International Canoe Federation nomenclature used in some European countries where the term canoe can refer to a kayak too, the sport adopted the name "canoe polo".
It is said to be a combination of water polo, basketball, and kayaking, and is played with five players in a side as well as two rolling substitutes, on a 35x23m-sized field which is typically demarcated by floating walkways at many international events. It's played over two 7-10 minute halves, totalling a 14-20 minute game (depending on the age group), and has a world championships which has been held biannually since the first in England in 1994.
Despite a strong worldwide presence, canoe polo remains a restless sleeping giant in South Africa waiting to break into the "mainstream scene", with less than 1 000 expected to play the sport nationwide. One of the clubs championing canoe polo's cause in South Africa is our very own Knysna Canoe Club (KCC), which started with canoe polo about 12 years ago before it really took off about six years ago.
KCC's canoe polo naturally started off small, but it now boasts teams for both males and females in various age groups from U16 right up to masters (veterans) with the club now able to provide equipment for those that are looking to start out. Some of South Africa's most-recent international triumphs on the water have come with KCC players as part of the masters team that won bronze at the World Games two years ago.
Get involved
Knysna's U16 boys team even managed to claim gold at the South African national championships in 2018. If you'd like to get in on the action and help grow the sport, you can get hold of Nelson das Fontes on 072 277 7664.
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