Underwater Hockey World Championships
The Underwater Hockey World Championship is the peak international event for the underwater sport of Underwater Hockey. The event is conducted on behalf of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) by an affiliated national federation. The championship was first held in 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada after the intended initial championship scheduled for 1979 was beset by difficulties and ultimately postponed, due to the invitation of a team from South Africa and the problems associated with apartheid.
Subsequently, a world championship has been held every two years in locations around the world up until 2006. 2006 saw many CMAS-affiliated national federations as well as the majority of the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission members in dispute with CMAS over policy and governance matters concerning underwater hockey. Out of the divide the World Aquachallenge Association (WAA) - an alternative governing body - was born.[1]
In 2007 CMAS intended to incorporate the Underwater Hockey World Championship into its inaugural World Games event in Bari, Italy, an ambitious event intended to showcase all of the underwater disciplines (Underwater Rugby, Finswimming etc) governed by them in one place. As far as underwater hockey goes this event was poorly attended, in part due to it being 'out of synch' with many affiliated federations' training calendars and budgets. The following year - the 'normal' world championship year - the WAA organised their 'rival' 1st World Championship event in Durban, South Africa. This is now held by many to have been the official 2008 World Championship despite it being poorly attended too, in part this time because CMAS organised a major underwater hockey 'zone' event to be held in Istanbul, Turkey on exactly the same dates meaning a majority of European federations were forced to choose which championship their representative teams attended.
The WAA was short-lived and since 2008 CMAS has once again administered all the world championship events in various age/gender divisions with the most recent having been held in Quebec City, Canada in 2018. World championships in the different age categories are now scheduled for every second year.[2] and the next world championships are scheduled for:
August 2019 in Sheffield, England - Men and Women, U19 and U24
July 2020 in Brisbane, Australia - Men and Women, Masters and Elite
History
Championships conducted by CMAS
Year | Date | Championship | Location event | # Nations | # Events |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | July 12 – 16 | 1st World Championship | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[3] | 5 | Men's, women's |
1982 | February 20 – 25 | 2nd World Championship | Brisbane, Australia[4] | 3 | Men's, women's |
1984 | May 1 – 10 | 3rd World Championship | Chicago, United States[5] | 8 | Men's, women's |
1986 | April 16 – 27 | 4th World Championship | Adelaide, Australia[6] | 7 | Men's, women's |
1988 | April 5 – 13 | 5th World Championship | Amersfoort, Netherlands[7] | 9 | Men's, women's |
1990 | May 31 – June 9 | 6th World Championship | Montreal, Quebec, Canada[8] | 9 | Men's, women's |
1992 | May 12 – 20 | 7th World Championship | Wellington, New Zealand[9] | 9 | Men's, women's, masters |
1994 | April 17 – 24 | 8th World Championship | Grand Couronne, France[10] | 10 | Men's, women's, masters |
1996 | July 11 – 20 | 9th World Championship | Durban, South Africa[11] | 11 | Men's, women's, masters, women’s masters |
1998 | June 4 – 13 | 10th World Championship | San José, United States[12] | 14 | Men's group A & B, women's, masters, women’s masters, friendly games |
2000 | April 25 – 29 | 11th World Championship | Hobart, Australia[13] | 15 | Men's, women's, masters, women’s masters, |
2002 | July 20 – 28 | 12th World Championship | Calgary, Alberta, Canada[14] | 13 | Men's, women's, masters, women’s masters, youth |
2004 | March 22 – 31 | 13th World Championship | Christchurch, New Zealand[15] | 9 | Men's, women's, masters, women’s masters, Under 19 open & women under 19 |
2006 | August 15 – 24 | 14th World Championship | Sheffield, United Kingdom[16][17] | 17 | Men group A & B, masters, women, women masters, under 19 open, under 19 women, friendly games |
2007 | July 31 – August 4 | 15th World Championship/1st CMAS Underwater Games | Bari, Italy[18] | 6 | Men, women, |
2009 | August 21 – 29 | 16th World Championship | Kranj, Slovenia[19][20] | 12 | Men, women, |
2011 | August 16 – 27 | 17th World Championship | Coimbra, Portugal[21][22] | 12 | Men, women, |
2013 | August 23 – September 1 | 18th World Championship | Eger, Hungary[23] | 19 | Men - elite, masters, under 23 & under 19; women - elite, masters, under 23 & under 19[24] |
2016 | March 22 – April 2 | 19th World Championship | Stellenbosch, South Africa | 17 | Men - elite, women - elite, masters Men; masters Women. |
2018 | July 18 – 28 | 20th World Championship | Quebec City, Quebec, Canada[25] | 5 | Men - elite, women - elite, masters Men; masters Women. |
2021 | July 20– August 1 | 21st World Championship | Gold Coast, Australia | 900 | Men - elite, women - elite, masters Men; masters Women. |
Championships conducted by WAA
Year | Date | Championship | Location event | # Nations | # Events |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | April 25 – May 3 | 1st WAA World Championships | Durban, South Africa[26][27] | 10 | Men, women, open masters, under 19 open, under 19 women |
The 1st WAA World Championships is considered by some as being the legitimate 15th Championships.[28]
References
- "2008 Meeting Minutes" (PDF). WAA. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "About Underwater Hockey". CMAS.
- "1980 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "1982 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Brisbane, Australia". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "1984 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Chicago, United States Of America". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "1986 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Adelaide, Australia". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "1988 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "1990 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Montreal, Quebec, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "1992 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Wellington, New Zealand". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "1994 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "1996 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Durban, South Africa<". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "1998 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - San Jose, United States Of America". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2000 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2002 World Underwater Hockey Championship Final - Calgary, Alberta, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2004 World Underwater Hockey Championship FINAL - Christchurch, New Zealand, 22nd to 31st March 2004". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2006 - 14th World Underwater Hockey Championship Final - Sheffield, United Kingdom 15th August to 24th August 2006". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2006 CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championships, Sheffield, UK (Official Website)". 2006 World Championship Committee. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- "1st CMAS World Games Underwater Hockey Tournament Bari, Italy - 31st July to 4th August 2007". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2nd CMAS WORLD GAMES UNDERWATER HOCKEY TOURNAMENT Kranj, Slovinia - 21st to 29th August 2009". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "KRANJ 16th CMAS UNDERWATER HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "3rd CMAS World Underwater Hockey Games (17th World Championship) Elite Teams Tournament Coimbra, Portugal, 16th to 27th August 2011". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "17th Underwater Hockey World Championship". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "Underwater Hockey World Championship 2013 Eger - Hungary. Information Pack is out". CMAS. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "18th CMAS WC 2013 Initial Groups" (PDF). CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
- "2018 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Quebec City, Quebec, Canada". www.cmas.com. 27 November 2018.
- "World Championship results". World Aquachallenge Association. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
- "2008 - 15th World Underwater Hockey Championship (sic) Durban, Natal, South Africa. 25th April - 3rd May 2008". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- "2008 - 15th World Underwater Hockey Championship (sic) Durban, Natal, South Africa. 25th April - 3rd May 2008". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.