Water Polo Canada  – (OTTAWA, July 11, 2016) – Water Polo Canada is proud to announce the selection of athletes who will compete in the upcoming 2016 UANA Junior (19U) Water Polo Pan American Championships, held from July 14-21 at the Kinsmen Sport Complex in Edmonton, Alberta.

The event serves as official qualifying tournament for the 20U FINA World Championships, scheduled for July 2017 in Budapest, Hungary, and will feature some of the best young athletes composing the next generation of aspiring Olympians.

These Junior Pan Ams will host 11 participating teams. On the men’s side, the squads from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Puerto Rico, U.S.A. and Trinidad & Tobago will join Canada. On the women’s side, Brazil, U.S.A. and Trinidad will be in attendance, along with the Canadian team.

 

19U MEN’S CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION

Last Name	First Name	Club (Province)
Blanchard	Jérémie	Calgary Wild (AB)
D’Souza	Reuel	Pacific Storm (BC)
Fraser	Robert-Martyn	Pacific Storm (BC)
Gardijan	Aleksa	Ottawa Titans (ON)
Huang	Byron	Calgary Wild (AB)
Jones	Gareth	Pacific Storm (BC)
Joudrie	Bryant	Calgary Torpedoes (AB)
Jovanovic	Marko	Pacific Storm (BC)
Morris	Jake	Team Saskatchewan (SK)
Poliseno	Felix	CAMO (QC)
Soleimani	Aria	Calgary Wild (AB)
Spooner	Mark	Pacific Storm (BC)
Stanic	Aleksa	Calgary Torpedoes (AB)

 

 

 

19U WOMEN’S CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION

Last Name	First Name	Club (Province)
Allin	Peggy Jean	Pacific Storm (BC)
Bakoc	Verica	York Mavericks (ON)
Campbell	Katie	Team Saskatchewan (SK)
Ceklic	Nina	Calgary Renegades (AB)
Christmas	Kyra	Calgary Renegades (AB)
Crevier	Axelle	CAMO (QC)
Guevremont	Zoe	CAMO (QC)
Hlanadif	Chayma	CAMO (QC)
Nacouzi	Joelle	Dollard (QC)
Rachid	Yasmine	CAMO (QC)
Utas	Brianna	Pacific Storm (BC)
Van Dyke	Adrien	Team Sask (SK)
Vulpisi	Clara	CAMO (QC)
Alternates:
Orlova	Viktoria	Pacific Storm (BC)
McCormick	Megan	Capital Wave (ON)
Boutrouille	Fanny	St Lambert (QC)

The last time the Junior Pan American Championships was hosted in Canada was in Montreal, in August 2012. In the 2014 UANA Junior Water Polo Pan American Championships, in Riverside, California, Canada was able to capture the bronze medal in both women’s and men’s divisions, over Puerto Rico and Argentina respectively.

QUOTES:

David Paradelo (Montreal, QC) – Women’s Age Group National Team Technical Leader:

The talent pool is wide, and permits us to have a versatile team. There are two main objectives going into the event: to develop our age group athletes in alignment with the Senior National Team’s skills and philosophies and to continually re-assess our progression in order to improve on a daily basis. These objectives will determine the success of our ultimate performance goal:  winning these Junior (19U) Pan American Water Polo Championships!
 
 

Andrew Robinson (Lachine, QC)  – 19U Women’s National Team Head Coach:

Representing Canada in Canada is special; everyone on the team has travelled this distance to play before, and there is a familiarity and comfort with playing at home. We will have the home crowd on our side, the Edmonton fans have proven to be loud and will come out in full force, and we’re looking forward to similar support at this event. We are really looking forward to representing Canada at home.

Andrew Muir (Calgary, AB) – Men’s Age National Team Technical Leader:

We are embracing the high expectations for this team. The athletes amongst themselves are focused on a gold medal but they know that it won’t come easy. We are hungry but are also well aware that there are very strong competitors in the Americas. 

It is something special to be able to compete on your own soil and I hope that we can draw energy from that experience in some crucial moments. As long as we stay present, our fitness, talent and experience should translate well and put us in a good position, come the playoffs and medal round.

Nikola Maric (Vancouver, B.C.) – 19U Men’s National Team Head Coach:

We are very fortunate to be hosting the 19U Pan Ams and I think it will be a great motivator for our guys. We believe in the system that we have put forward and we are training extra hard to make our country proud. I hope that this international event also raises awareness in Edmonton for the sport of water polo!

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About Water Polo Canada  (www.waterpolo.ca)

Water Polo Canada (WPC) is the National Sport Organization for Water Polo in Canada.  It is a not-for-profit, charitable organization operating under a Board of Directors elected by provincial/territorial members. Its purpose is to nationally lead the growth and the pursuit of excellence for the sport of water polo while respecting the following set of values: Accountability, Commitment, Equity, Innovation, Integrity and Teamwork. Water Polo Canada acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada and of other partners such as Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Sport Institutes network and the Coaching Association of Canada.

For further information and interview requests, please contact:

Pascale Beaudoin, Water Polo Canada Communications, pbeaudoin@waterpolo.ca