ICF Canoe Polo Committee activities Q3 2025

Chengdu is great success

The World Games 2025 in Chengdu was incredible for Canoe Polo. The way the venue was dressed, athletes presented, the facilities for the athletes and spectators alike, the Athletes’ Village, great livestreaming by the IWGA/HOC including some developments such as microphones on the goals and an underwater camera, good officiating and support personal all resulted in an excellent competition. Social media posts, even without video in China alone gave a total reach exceeding 260,000 with 3,000 likes and comments.

The matches were incredibly close with podium results in summary:

Men
Gold - Germany
Silver - Italy
Bronze - Great Britain

Women
Gold - Germany
Silver - New Zealand
Bronze - Netherlands

You can read the feelings and intensity of the athletes here.

Continental Championships

All the Continental Championships, except for Africa which will be held in October, have now been completed as part of qualification for the 2026 World Championships.

European Championships

This was a great success with Avranches, France kindly agreeing to be replacement hosts late on. An unusual playing system created some surprises but as the saying goes “you have to beat whoever is in front of you” and this led to Germany and Great Britain men losing out despite early successes while others benefited from winning the right games at critical moments. In summary:

• Spain won gold in both the men’s and U21 women’s categories.
• Germany dominated the women’s category and once again won gold.
• France won gold in the U21 men’s category.

France took medals in every event and made the most of the home advantage.

Asian Championships

A really well organised and friendly competition in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The notable absentees were Iran men and women who had competed so well at the previous World Championships and the women at the World Games but now lose their ranking and guaranteed invitation for 2026 having failed to ratify their position by not participating in the Continental Championships.

Results in summary include:

• Chinese Taipei dominated winning the men’s, women’s and U21 men’s categories.
• Malaysia won gold in the U21 women’s category and as hosts also got on the podium on the men’s and U21 men’s categories.

Full report

Referees at the Asian Championships

For the very first time at the 19th Asian Canoe Polo Championships included four male and five female referees. The importance of equality is ever increasing in most parts of the world. For Canoe Polo being a referee is not an easy job. The ability to officiate what are often very physical games is paramount to the success of a Canoe Polo game. The ICF has been encouraging female referees while also being acutely aware of any referee’s ability to control key games. To select a referee who loses control and negatively impacts any game would not move forward, it would be a backwards step.

These breakthrough referees deserve a mention and include from left to right: Cherol FONG – Singapore, ZHONG Xing (Dodo) – China, MOLAEE Fatemeh – Iran, SHEN Qiong (Evonne) – China and ENG Ai Wen – Malaysia.

Coach development

The first ICF Level 1 Coaching Course for Canoe Polo was delivered in Malaysia in the lead up to the Asian Canoe Polo Championships. Liang Song Peng, the organiser of the 19th Asian Canoe Polo Championships, said: “I was aware there were coaching videos recorded at the last World Championships in Deqing, China. Now I’ve seen them they really are very good for a basic understanding of Canoe Polo skills and techniques. We are really grateful that the ICF chose Malaysia to deliver this first Level 1 Canoe Polo Coaching Course and I know from conversations around the course it really has stimulated new development in Asia.”

Over three days, 25 participants (18 male and six female) from nine countries (China, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Singapore) developed their skills and knowledge on basic skills, technique, tactics, video skills, The World Games matches and practical on water drills. Guest coach Dr Mehregan Kheirollahi (Iran), a professional exercise physiologist, assisted throughout and in particular with the topics of motor learning and physiological demands.

Rules development

Following extensive consultation with players and coaches the rules clarification document featuring sprint starts, defender's paddle and Illegal hand tackle has now been published at:

https://www.canoeicf.com/sites/default/files/2025_icf_canoe_polo_rule_clarifications.pdf

Perhaps the most controversial part relates to the “stationary hand and/or paddle” but contrary to some ill-informed negative voices there has been zero increase in any hand injuries, more the opposite with a 66% overall foul reduction when compared to the “old card system”.

By Greg Smale, Chair of the ICF Canoe Polo Committee