Cuban national coach, Eduardo Medina, has expressed confidence that water polo will become an acclaimed sport in Guyana in time with continued efforts, following the FINA (World Swimming Federation) Beginner’s Level Water Polo Clinic that concluded on Tuesday at the National Aquatic Centre.
Speaking exclusively with Stabroek Sport following the conclusion of the programme on Tuesday, Medina who was the lectureron the course said that he can see viable water polo teams developing in Guyana in time.
The Cuban national coach said that this clinic was only the first step, and efforts should continue from where he left off.
Medina also noted that while those involved should not rush to see results, they need to continue in the sport to see it advance, and as the sport develops more clinics could be conducted to align with the developments being made.
“Yes I see that, but you need time, time and work, and work hard because you are beginning now and the beginning is only the first step towards advancing. It is very important that this continues, this is the beginning and it continues step by step. Don’t be hurried but don’t stop.”
“This clinic is only to begin, I think that when you have many players and you need to develop a coach for water polo. When you have some coach working with children and teaching water polo, you need the next step, this other clinic – the intermediate or higher level – when they can learn something more for continuous development of the sport.”
The clinic which ran for one week was held with the objective of ensuring that participants could comprehensively grasp the basic knowledge required to play water polo.
The clinic involved 20 hours of practical and 8 hours of theoretical instruction on the basics of the sport.
“This clinic, the objectives were that the students will be able to assimilate the theoretical and practical knowledge about the basic preparations of a water polo player. We had 28 hours in the week, 20 hours practical and eight theoretical hours. We teach about the basic preparation for the water polo player, the motor skills that water polo (players) need to develop, the sport initiation, and the work in the early category that is very important for us,” the former water polo player said.
The clinic was sponsored by FINA as a part of the body’s development programme, where it provides an expert to conduct various courses, on several aspects of swimming, in countries all across the globe.
Guyana usually hosts a clinic every year and a five- day officials clinic was held last year. The clinics are held in collaboration with the local body for swimming, the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), and are usually open to the public.
Medina explained that it is very important that the swimmers understand the drills of the sport and how they differ from what those training for competitive swimming are used to.
“We did the practical in the pool of the Olympic centre [National Aquatic Centre] where they learn the different water polo technical (skills) that is different, like swimming.
The swimming is very important to the water polo, but the technical (skill) of the water polo is different from swimming. We were working in this objective, that they know the different water polo technical (skills), with ball, without ball. The different movements in water polo and we talked very much about the rules of the water polo games,” Medina said
The few persons who attended the clinic will now play a pivotal role in ensuring the expansion and development of the sport in Guyana, as persons begin to be drawn into the sport.
Medina noted that the swimmers he worked with have already begun to develop the skills for playing the sport.
“They have developed some skill, they have to translate this skill to water polo, it is very important because I showed you before that the swimming is the general skill that the water polo player needs to develop this special capability after,” Medina explained.
Those who took part in the clinic have already voiced their eagerness to see the sport get off the ground; and it is expected that the training for water polo and the formation of teams will begin as soon as the early part of next year.
