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.
2020 July 20– August 2 21st World Championship Gold Coast, Australia No Nations 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]

Future championships

As of September 2018, the U19 and U24 Underwater Hockey World Championship will be held in Sheffield, United Kingdom during August 2019, and the Elite and Masters Underwater Hockey World Championship will be held in Brisbane, Australia during July 2020.

References
  1. "2008 Meeting Minutes" (PDF). WAA. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  2. "About Underwater Hockey". CMAS.
  3. "1980 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  4. "1982 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Brisbane, Australia". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  5. "1984 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Chicago, United States Of America". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  6. "1986 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Adelaide, Australia". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  7. "1988 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  8. "1990 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Montreal, Quebec, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  9. "1992 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Wellington, New Zealand". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  10. "1994 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  11. "1996 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Durban, South Africa<". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  12. "1998 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - San Jose, United States Of America". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  13. "2000 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Amersfoort, Netherlands". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  14. "2002 World Underwater Hockey Championship Final - Calgary, Alberta, Canada". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  15. "2004 World Underwater Hockey Championship FINAL - Christchurch, New Zealand, 22nd to 31st March 2004". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  16. "2006 - 14th World Underwater Hockey Championship Final - Sheffield, United Kingdom 15th August to 24th August 2006". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  17. "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.
  18. "1st CMAS World Games Underwater Hockey Tournament Bari, Italy - 31st July to 4th August 2007". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  19. "2nd CMAS WORLD GAMES UNDERWATER HOCKEY TOURNAMENT Kranj, Slovinia - 21st to 29th August 2009". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  20. "KRANJ 16th CMAS UNDERWATER HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  21. "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.
  22. "17th Underwater Hockey World Championship". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  23. "Underwater Hockey World Championship 2013 Eger - Hungary. Information Pack is out". CMAS. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  24. "18th CMAS WC 2013 Initial Groups" (PDF). CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  25. "2018 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals - Quebec City, Quebec, Canada". www.cmas.com. 27 November 2018.
  26. "World Championship results". World Aquachallenge Association. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  27. "2008 - 15th World Underwater Hockey Championship (sic) Durban, Natal, South Africa. 25th April - 3rd May 2008". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  28. "2008 - 15th World Underwater Hockey Championship (sic) Durban, Natal, South Africa. 25th April - 3rd May 2008". www.underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
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