EMERGING SPORT
W AT E R P O LO
NOT FOR THE FAINT-HEARTED BY ROBIN ADAMS
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ATER POLO has been described as the toughest sport in the world. A sometimes brutal combination
BLUE AND GOLD ISSUE 8 2022
of strength, stamina, speed and endurance, the sport first debuted in the United States in the late 19th century. Few would have predicted the speed with which it would take off globally.
IN SOUTH AFRICA, however, a country obsessed with football, cricket and rugby, where the majority of the population have little access to basic amenities, let alone a swimming pool, the aquatic discipline has long been fighting for recognition. Water polo only made an appearance at the University of the Western Cape in the last few years and is still a workin-progress. One of the star players is Chad Roman, a self-confessed water polo nut, having been involved with the sport for nearly 15 years. After narrowly missing out on the rescheduled Tokyo Games last year,
