India hosts 15th Asian Canoe Polo Championship

Bruce K. Thangkhal

New Delhi, 19 October 2013: For the first time, India is hosting the 15th Asian Canoe Polo Championship at the Talkatora Swimming Pool, Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex, New Delhi.

A total of six countries, with 150 athletes, are taking part in the championship. The participating nations include Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Iran, Chinese Taipei, and India. This is India’s first time competing in the championship. The event is held every two years. The previous championship took place in Iran, and the next will be hosted in Hong Kong, according to the organisers.

The championship was inaugurated by Jiji Thomson, Director General of the Sports Authority of India, on 17 October and will continue until 20 October. It is organised under the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA).

Balbir Singh Kushwaha, National Secretary General of the International Canoe Federation, said, “This is the first time India is participating in an international Canoe Polo championship, and we are happy to see the team compete. I know our team is not scoring very well, but at least we have started.”

Canoe Polo, also known as Kayak Polo, is a fast-paced water sport played in a defined field between two teams of five players each, who compete in kayaks (small boats). The objective is to score goals by getting the ball into the opponent’s net. The team with the most goals at the end of the match wins. Each game consists of two halves, each lasting ten minutes.

In the Senior Men’s category, India lost to Malaysia by 2:34 goals, Iran defeated Singapore 4:3, India lost to Chinese Taipei 0:50, Japan defeated Malaysia 11:3, Iran defeated Chinese Taipei 8:6, India lost to Japan 0:15, Singapore defeated Malaysia 10:3, India lost to Iran 0:9, and Japan defeated Singapore 10:4.

In the Senior Women’s category, India lost to Singapore by 0:39 goals, Iran defeated Japan 7:2, and Iran defeated Singapore 6:0.

In the Under-21 Men’s category, Chinese Taipei lost to Singapore by 3:6, India lost to Japan 2:24, Chinese Taipei defeated India 28:1, and Iran defeated Japan 8:4.

In the 12th Asian Canoe Polo Championship held in Hwacheon, Korea, in 2007, Chinese Taipei was the champion in the Men’s Senior category, while Iran won the Women’s Senior and Men’s Under-21 categories. In the 13th Asian Canoe Polo Championship held in Hualien, Taiwan, in 2009, Chinese Taipei won the Men’s Senior category, while Iran was the champion in the Women’s Senior and Men’s Under-21 categories. In the 14th Asian Canoe Polo Championship held in Tehran, Iran, in 2011, Iran was the champion in both the Men’s and Women’s Senior categories.

The semi-finals and finals of the 15th Asian Canoe Polo Championship will take place on 20 October. In the Men’s semi-finals, Japan will compete against Iran, while Singapore will face Chinese Taipei. In the Women’s semi-finals, Iran will play against India, and Singapore will take on Japan.

Canoe Polo is often described as a mix of water polo, basketball, and kayaking. The tactics and gameplay are similar to basketball and water polo but with the added challenge of manoeuvring boats. Players can use their kayaks to block, push, or jostle for position within six metres of the goal.

The sport was introduced in India in 1985 by the late Avinash Chander Kholi. Today, the association has around 2,500 individual members, 28 affiliated state associations, and 12 affiliated units.

~ The Mizoram Post, Manipur Chronicle, Zogam Today

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