Water polo girls’ skills on show
Some of the country’s best water polo players will test their skills against each other in the annual Alexander Road High School Girls Water Polo Festival this weekend.
Featuring about 350 girls from some of the country’s top water polo schools, the 26th edition of the tournament promises two days of fun in the pool for players and spectators alike, starting on Friday.
The aim of the tournament is to gauge the various levels of skill in the school water polo fraternity.
A total of 146 matches will be played over the two days, with the school’s pool being split into two sections so matches can be played side by side.
Alex sports administrator Lawton de Klerk said the tournament was good preparation for the upcoming season.
It also presents an opportunity for players to catch the eye for possible selection to provincial or national teams.
“We try to establish what the strengths of the teams are. In so doing, teams of similar strengths will play each other.
“The festival has seen many players who have [gone on] to provincial and national [level] and this is the perfect platform for them to showcase their talents,” De Klerk said.
With the water polo season only a few weeks in, De Klerk said it was festivals such as these that helped teams to improve on areas of their game.
Only senior teams are featured and the Eastern Cape is represented by 10 schools – Collegiate Girls, Diocesan School for Girls, Hudson Park, Kingsridge, Kingswood College, Merrifield, Pearson High, St Dominic’s and Woodridge College, along with hosts Alex.