‘Limitless potential’ in Gisborne water polo rookies, says professional player

The kids who took part in a flippa ball camp run by Tairāwhiti Water Polo Club showed plenty of natural talent, said coaches, who are keen to see surf lifesaving clubs get involved in the sport in Gisborne.

The water polo world is your oyster.

That’s the belief of Tairawhiti Water Polo Club coach Andras Sari after what he described as the “limitless potential” he saw in the young athletes who took part in a flippa ball holiday camp in Gisborne this week.

Thirty-one children aged 7 to 12 were introduced to the sport at the four-hour camp at Kiwa Pools.

Flippa ball is a junior introductory version of water polo.

The camp combined essential water safety skills with water polo fundamentals and ended with competitive games.

It was run by Sari and Eve Weston, professional water polo players in Hungary, with the assistance of locals Diego and Sammy Castaño.

Half of the participants have attended the club’s regular Sunday flippa ball sessions, while the others were taking their first plunge into the sport.

Sari was impressed by what he saw.

“The kids were keen to learn, were respectful and demonstrated a lot of natural talent. I’m excited for the future of water polo in Tairāwhiti,” he said.

He believed the potential was “limitless” for the young athletes.

“There is nothing stopping these kids travelling the world playing this sport when they are older.”

Weston said Gisborne offered “unique advantages” for aquatic sports development.

“The kids growing up in Gizzy are extremely lucky to be surrounded by water, with the sea so accessible and good pools,” she said. “The fact that we could get them along to intertwine water safety and water polo was really cool.

“I grew up doing surf lifesaving and the two sports immensely complement each other. I would love to see more people from the renowned surf clubs in Gisborne getting involved with water polo.”

Sari and Weston said the camp represented “a significant milestone for water polo development in the region, combining international expertise with local knowledge to nurture the next generation of aquatic athletes in Tairāwhiti”.

Tairāwhiti Water Polo Club will continue its 2pm Sunday sessions from July 27 to August 31.