Los Alamitos, Ca.—August 17—One  of Southern California’s most exciting events of the summer opens this weekend in Long Beach and Los Alamitos with the kick-off of the 2007 FINA Men’s Junior World Championships, featuring 24 of the best men’s water polo teams from around the world aged 20 and under.

The tournament will provide insights into future Olympic water polo teams; winners of this tournament have historically medaled in future Games.  The tournament also promises to showcase various national styles of play, with teams coming from six continents.  Serbia, Croatia and Spain were the most recent teams to medal at the Championships, which were last held in Argentina in 2005. 

Water polo, singled out in an ESPN survey as one of the top ten most demanding of all sports, is known for athletes of incredible size, agility, strength, swimming speed and endurance.  It combines elements of soccer, basketball and wrestling in all-deep water.

One interesting sidebar to the tournament is the participation of Iran, which has traveled half way across the world to compete after qualifying in Jakarta.  Southern California’s large Iranian population is expected to come out in large numbers to support their team, which is making history by its appearance here.

Local residents with cultural ties to other nations are also expected to turn out in record numbers.  Teams from Greece, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany, Serbia, Hungary, Mexico, and of course Iran, can expect large local followings, along with teams from Jamaica, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and Slovakia.

Team USA has just returned from its own European swing, where it earned a second place finish in the prestigious Tatras Cup.  Led by Coach Doug Peabody, the team boasts strong NCAA representation, including players from the University of Southern California, UCLA, Stanford, Pepperdine, UC Berkeley and Loyola Marymount University.

“To represent the USA on home soil is a great opportunity for the young men on the team,” said Assistant Coach Tim Reed.   “With a 21 day training and tournament cycle as well as additional training, we should be prepared.”

The United States team finds itself slotted in Group B when play begins on Saturday evening, with an opening 7 PM match  against Jamaica.  The remaining teams in B bracket include Canada, Croatia, France, and Puerto Rico.

The 2007 FINA Men’s Junior World Championship will run from Saturday August 18 through Sunday August 26 simultaneously at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos and the campus of the California State University at Long Beach.  Opening ceremonies will begin  at 6 PM Pacific Time on Saturday, August 18, at the Los Alamitos venue, and will feature a parade of nations, synchronized swimming, and a post-game reception featuring a Jamaican Steel Band.

The 2007 FINA Men’s Junior World Championship is sponsored by Speedo, Mikasa Sports USA, the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nestle Waters, Lucas Companies, Latham & Watkins, LLP, Eagle Communications and Impressive Engravings.

About USA Water Polo
USA Water Polo, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that serves as the national governing body for the sport of water polo in the United States under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC