The 2017 South African Canoe Polo championships will take place at Homestead Lake in Benoni this weekend with fourteen teams from around the country contesting the national honours.
The event will take place at East Rand Kayak for the first time, following a successful tournament held at Shongweni Dam in 2016 the number of teams at the competition has been increased by two from last year’s event, a sign of growing interest in the sport.
The major provinces that compete in canoe polo are KwaZulu-Natal, Western Province and Gauteng and the side from KwaZulu-Natal will be hoping that they can repeat their title winning efforts from last year across Senior Men’s, Women’s and Under-15’s categories.
There will be three divisions at the tournament, Senior Men’s, Under 23 Men and Women and Under 15. The numbers in the Under 15 category has impressed South African Canoe Polo Chairman, Chris de Bree.
“This is the first time in South Africa that we will be running two pitches over the weekend and this is a reflection on the growing numbers starting out in the sport, which is encouraging for us.”
The inter-provincial contest will not have an influence on the national side as those teams have already been selected for the African championships coming up in April in Namibia.
“The African Championships are going to take place in Windhoek this year and we have put together three senior sides – a Men’s and Men’s B Team as well as a Senior Ladies team.
“In the junior ranks we have an Under 21 Men’s team, and Under 21 Ladies team as well as a mixed Under 15 side,” De Bree added.