NKB-KANOPOLO
10-01-2005, 06:59 PM
In the summer of 2006, from the 9th till the 13th of august, the city of Amsterdam will be the host to one of the biggest sport events in the history of Dutch canoeing. The Seventh World Canoepolo Championships of the International Canoe Federation (I.C.F.) will be held at the famous Amsterdam rowing and canoe track ‘De Bosbaan’. Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands; famous for its canals, museums, vivid nightlife and numerous sport events. Its history goes back to the Middle Ages and its grandness dates from the Dutch Golden, 17th Century. Now Amsterdam is the proud organising city of the I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships. At the 2006 World Canoe Polo Championships there will be 3 categories participating: Senior Men, Senior Women and Under-21 Men.
Canoepolo is a dynamic sport, which new appearance dates from the early nineties of the 20th century. With a set of new rules the I.C.F. dramatically changed the nature of the game; creating a new, more dynamic, more athletic sport. Canoepolo became a feast for the eye. Spectators were treated with spectacular games, which combined everything a sport needs: athletic skills, great canoe techniques, magnificent goals and thrilling scores. Canoepolo was ready to conquer the world. In 1994 Great-Britain was the first country honoured by organising the first I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships. In the Senior Men Class 18 countries participated of which Australia becoming the first World Champion ever by defeating Germany with an astonishing score of 6-1. Australia continued to dominate the international canoepolo scene with victories at the second World Championships, held in their own country in 1996, and the third World Championships in Portugal in 1998. The change of millennium also brought us a new World Champion. It was Great-Britain who won the fourth World Championship in Brazil in 2000 and repeated this great achievement at the fifth World Championships in Germany in 2002, beating the Dutch in the finales for the second time in a row.
In the Senior Women Class the World Championships in the nineties were also dominated by Australia, winning the Cup in 1994 and 1998, and Great-Britain winning the World Championship in 1996. It was Germany who took over the dominate role in international women canoepolo by winning the title in 2000 en 2002. On the Sixth World Canoepolo Championships this year in Japan the Great Britain Women squad reclaimed their title by defeating the Germans in the finale. In 2002 at the World Championships in Essen, Germany, a new competition was introduced. Germany won the first Under -21 Men World Championship defeating The Netherlands by golden goal in the finale. In the Under -21 Women Class it was also the German team who won the first price. This year in Japan it was the Spanish Under -21 Men team who became World Champion by defeating Italy in the finale. Unfortunately there was no competition in the Under -21 Women category.
Canoepolo has grown during the years. In 1994 there were in total 24 teams representing 18 countries in two categories. Only eight years later at the fifth World Championship in Essen, more than 60 teams participated in four categories, representing 27 countries from all over the world. Since then the numbers of canoepolo countries in the world only increased. Canoepolo has professionalized rapidly and the Japanes organisation of the Sixth World Canoepolo Championships in 2004 has shown how to organise this major event. The setting in the host town Miyoshi was beautiful, the pitches magnificently created and the organisation highly dedicated to do the job. The level of canoepolo played during this tournament was higher than ever; starring world’s greatest players in the finest teams. The Championships in all the three categories were thrilling and has enriched the world with some of the most exciting canoepolo games ever. It is a challenge for the current Dutch organisation to reach for a similar, or if possible, even a higher level of organisation. The seventh I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships will be the next step in the development of canoepolo worldwide.
The Netherlands have always played a dominate role in international canoepolo, but in the nineties this never resulted in any prices at the World Championships. In 1994 and 1998 the Dutch Senior Men ended at a fourth place after being defeated in de semi finales. In the year 2000 this all changed when the basis of the Dutch team was formed out of a unique mix of players of the Dutch club teams Rijnland and Deventer. Rijnland, from the small town Leiderdorp, had dominated canoepolo in the Netherlands and Europe during the nineties; winning 14 Dutch Championships and several European tournaments. Deventer was the upcoming team with some very talented players. This combination of routine and talent resulted in a silver medal in Brazil in 2000. After this success canoepolo developed itself in the Netherlands. Deventer became the number one club team in the Netherlands and Europe; winning everything a club team could win. After a bronze medal at the European Canoepolo Championships in Poland in 2001 and another silver medal in Germany in 2002, the Netherlands won its first international price at the European Canoepolo Championships in Ireland in 2003. The European Champion continued its success in 2004; in Japan at the Sixth World Championships the Dutch Senior Men team defeated the Germans in a legendary finale with 5-4.
As World Champion it is a huge honour for the Dutch Canoe Federation (NKB) to organise the Seventh I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships. A total of 24 Senior Men teams and 24 Senior Women teams will qualify, or have already qualified. A total of 16 Under-21 Men teams will participate at the World Championships in the Netherlands. The Dutch Canoe Federation and the city of Amsterdam offer the I.C.F., the participating federations and their teams a unique sport event. We are looking forward to the day that we can welcome you and your team at the Bosbaan in Amsterdam.
More information will follow at the soon to be launched WC-2006 site. Untill that day the Dutch organisation will inform the international canoepolo community on www.canoepolo.com (http://www.canoepolo.com). If you have any questions or remarks: please reply to kanopolo@akvodysseus.nl.
On behave of the Dutch Canoe Federation
Martijn Rol
Canoepolo is a dynamic sport, which new appearance dates from the early nineties of the 20th century. With a set of new rules the I.C.F. dramatically changed the nature of the game; creating a new, more dynamic, more athletic sport. Canoepolo became a feast for the eye. Spectators were treated with spectacular games, which combined everything a sport needs: athletic skills, great canoe techniques, magnificent goals and thrilling scores. Canoepolo was ready to conquer the world. In 1994 Great-Britain was the first country honoured by organising the first I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships. In the Senior Men Class 18 countries participated of which Australia becoming the first World Champion ever by defeating Germany with an astonishing score of 6-1. Australia continued to dominate the international canoepolo scene with victories at the second World Championships, held in their own country in 1996, and the third World Championships in Portugal in 1998. The change of millennium also brought us a new World Champion. It was Great-Britain who won the fourth World Championship in Brazil in 2000 and repeated this great achievement at the fifth World Championships in Germany in 2002, beating the Dutch in the finales for the second time in a row.
In the Senior Women Class the World Championships in the nineties were also dominated by Australia, winning the Cup in 1994 and 1998, and Great-Britain winning the World Championship in 1996. It was Germany who took over the dominate role in international women canoepolo by winning the title in 2000 en 2002. On the Sixth World Canoepolo Championships this year in Japan the Great Britain Women squad reclaimed their title by defeating the Germans in the finale. In 2002 at the World Championships in Essen, Germany, a new competition was introduced. Germany won the first Under -21 Men World Championship defeating The Netherlands by golden goal in the finale. In the Under -21 Women Class it was also the German team who won the first price. This year in Japan it was the Spanish Under -21 Men team who became World Champion by defeating Italy in the finale. Unfortunately there was no competition in the Under -21 Women category.
Canoepolo has grown during the years. In 1994 there were in total 24 teams representing 18 countries in two categories. Only eight years later at the fifth World Championship in Essen, more than 60 teams participated in four categories, representing 27 countries from all over the world. Since then the numbers of canoepolo countries in the world only increased. Canoepolo has professionalized rapidly and the Japanes organisation of the Sixth World Canoepolo Championships in 2004 has shown how to organise this major event. The setting in the host town Miyoshi was beautiful, the pitches magnificently created and the organisation highly dedicated to do the job. The level of canoepolo played during this tournament was higher than ever; starring world’s greatest players in the finest teams. The Championships in all the three categories were thrilling and has enriched the world with some of the most exciting canoepolo games ever. It is a challenge for the current Dutch organisation to reach for a similar, or if possible, even a higher level of organisation. The seventh I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships will be the next step in the development of canoepolo worldwide.
The Netherlands have always played a dominate role in international canoepolo, but in the nineties this never resulted in any prices at the World Championships. In 1994 and 1998 the Dutch Senior Men ended at a fourth place after being defeated in de semi finales. In the year 2000 this all changed when the basis of the Dutch team was formed out of a unique mix of players of the Dutch club teams Rijnland and Deventer. Rijnland, from the small town Leiderdorp, had dominated canoepolo in the Netherlands and Europe during the nineties; winning 14 Dutch Championships and several European tournaments. Deventer was the upcoming team with some very talented players. This combination of routine and talent resulted in a silver medal in Brazil in 2000. After this success canoepolo developed itself in the Netherlands. Deventer became the number one club team in the Netherlands and Europe; winning everything a club team could win. After a bronze medal at the European Canoepolo Championships in Poland in 2001 and another silver medal in Germany in 2002, the Netherlands won its first international price at the European Canoepolo Championships in Ireland in 2003. The European Champion continued its success in 2004; in Japan at the Sixth World Championships the Dutch Senior Men team defeated the Germans in a legendary finale with 5-4.
As World Champion it is a huge honour for the Dutch Canoe Federation (NKB) to organise the Seventh I.C.F. World Canoepolo Championships. A total of 24 Senior Men teams and 24 Senior Women teams will qualify, or have already qualified. A total of 16 Under-21 Men teams will participate at the World Championships in the Netherlands. The Dutch Canoe Federation and the city of Amsterdam offer the I.C.F., the participating federations and their teams a unique sport event. We are looking forward to the day that we can welcome you and your team at the Bosbaan in Amsterdam.
More information will follow at the soon to be launched WC-2006 site. Untill that day the Dutch organisation will inform the international canoepolo community on www.canoepolo.com (http://www.canoepolo.com). If you have any questions or remarks: please reply to kanopolo@akvodysseus.nl.
On behave of the Dutch Canoe Federation
Martijn Rol