Road to World Championships 2026: Team Zimbabwe kicks off water polo preparations
Zimbabwe’s junior water polo teams have officially begun preparations for the 2026 World Championships, with players and coaches targeting strong performances on the world stage in Europe .
The national under-16 girls’ team will compete in Croatia from July 25 to 31, followed by the under-16 boys from August 3 to 9. Both tournaments will be held at the Mladost Aquatics venue in Zagreb. The under-18 girls’ team will then head to Tenerife, Spain, for their Championships scheduled from August 16 to 23.
Speaking to Fanzonezw during a training session , Zimbabwe’s Junior Teams Head Coach, international strategist Konstantinos “Kostas” Pavlidis, said preparations are progressing well despite the scale of the challenge ahead.
“The preparations are going well. We have a lot of things to cover before the World Cups both for the U16 boys and girls, and the U18 girls that will be in Spain,” Pavlidis said.
“Our preparations continue well, but because we are going to the world stage, it’s totally different from what we already know here in Zimbabwe.”
The Greek coach, who has led the junior teams for the past three years, said the focus is on building both fitness and tactical strength.
“So far we are having two sessions morning and evening. In the morning we are working on fitness as much as possible so that we are ready, and in the evening sessions we are working on tactics,” he emphasized.
The World Aquatics U16 Water Polo Championships will feature 60 teams in both the men’s and women’s events. Zimbabwe, Egypt, and South Africa will represent Africa in Zagreb. .
The Women’s U18 Championship in Tenerife will bring together 20 nations. Zimbabwe’s U18 women’s team and South Africa will carry the African flag in Spain.
U16 Boys Assistant Coach Matthew Accorsi acknowledged the difficulties of preparing in Zimbabwe’s winter for a European summer tournament, but expressed confidence in the squad.
“Preparations are going well, though we struggle a little bit preparing for these World Camps due to the fact that we are going to play in Europe during their summer and our preparations we are doing them during winter in Zimbabwe,” Accorsi said.
“We have great confidence in the boys that they are going to compete on the world stage. The goalkeepers we have i think they will do extremely well.”
Accorsi added that exposure to top international teams will be invaluable for Zimbabwe’s development.
“Our water polo programs here are a lot more limited in comparison to European teams, so our boys will learn a lot going to the World Championships. It will be a great honor to share the same pool space with some of these great nations.”
With double training sessions underway Team Zimbabwe is now in full build-up mode ahead of what promises to be a landmark year for junior water polo in the country.
