Water Polo | Spanish water polo champions Elevate South African talent in Joburg and Cape Town

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa: South Africa's water polo community received a major boost as world champion Felipe Perrone and top coaches from Spain's BIWPA Academy conducted two high-performance clinics in Johannesburg and Cape Town in partnership with the locally based Elevate Water Polo.

Close to 200 players participated in the sessions across both cities, gaining hands-on experience and insights from some of the sport's most accomplished athletes and coaches.

Perrone, who recently secured gold with the Spanish team at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, praised the South African players, saying the country's sports culture was evident in the groups.

"I could see the love for the sport. They were so focused, and I could see how the rugby culture can support the growth of water polo, because the kids, they have this team spirit and they have this kind of way of playing with more contact, with more strength, that I think comes from the rugby culture," said the five-time Olympian.

Perrone's main aim with the coaching clinics was to impart skills that can be worked on by local players after his departure.

"I think the main thing is to understand that there are a lot of details in the game and to learn it you need to be very focused and you need to pay attention on those details," he said. "It's not easy to learn, it's not easy to see, but I hope that I can share with them, and I hope that they can internalise this knowledge and they can keep working on that when I leave."

Joining Perrone were Ferran Pascual and Miquel Moyana, experienced coaches from BIWPA, who emphasised the importance of fundamentals and structured development. Pascual noted: "The South African players are physically really talented; they normally are big, strong, and they throw the ball so hard, so that's good for water polo. But they have some weaknesses in the fundamentals... You can be strong, really big, but without good fundamentals. It's really impossible to control your body."

The two clinics combined basic technical instruction, tactical development, and game intelligence and Pascual explained: "The people here really want to learn. They are focused, they are really paying attention on the details that we are explaining, and they really take care of what we are teaching to them, and this makes my job easier and I'm really proud to work with them because they really want to learn from it. So that's really, really, really good."

Elevate Water Polo, the local organiser, was also praised for their role in making the clinics possible and their mission to raise the level of the sport in South Africa. Perrone called the organisation "an example of how a community can make big things," while Pascual added: "It's like the dream – we want to help countries, different countries in the world to develop their water polo and Elevate is the best company who can do that in South Africa."

Both Johannesburg and Cape Town camps featured Q&A sessions with Perrone and Pascual, giving participants the chance to hear first-hand stories from the international stage and learn what it takes to succeed at the highest level – something the Spanish visitors firmly believe can be achieved by South African teams.

The success of these clinics underscores the power of international collaboration in growing water polo in countries where the sport is still developing. With consistent coaching, structured programmes, and a culture of passion, South Africa's water polo future is poised for significant growth.