South Africa’s water polo teams, both men and women, have been denied the opportunity to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite qualifying for the event. The decision was made by Swimming South Africa (SSA), the governing body of aquatic sports in the country, which cited unrealistic medal prospects as the reason for the withdrawal.
The decision came as a shock and a disappointment to the water polo players, who had earned their Olympic berths by being the top African teams at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February 2024. The players learned about the decision from a social media post by the Canadian water polo team, which benefited from South Africa’s withdrawal and secured the Olympic spot.
The decision also sparked outrage and criticism from the water polo community, both locally and internationally, which accused SSA of being unfair, unreasonable, and disrespectful to the players and the sport. Many questioned the logic and the motive behind the decision, and called for an explanation and a reversal from SSA.
A Contradictory and Inconsistent Criteria by SSA
One of the main points of contention regarding the decision by SSA was the criteria that SSA used to determine the eligibility of the water polo teams for the Olympics. SSA claimed that the water polo teams had to achieve a top-12 ranking at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, in order to qualify for the Olympics, and that they failed to do so.
However, this criteria was contradictory and inconsistent with the previous and the current Olympic qualification rules, which stated that the top team from each continent, regardless of their ranking, would qualify for the Olympics. Moreover, this criteria was also different from the one that SSA applied to other aquatic sports, such as swimming and diving, which did not require a top-12 ranking for Olympic qualification.
The water polo players and their supporters argued that SSA had imposed an arbitrary and unrealistic criteria on the water polo teams, without consulting or informing them beforehand, and that SSA had discriminated and disregarded the water polo teams, compared to other aquatic sports. They also pointed out that the water polo teams had shown significant improvement and potential in the recent years, and that they deserved a chance to compete and represent their country at the Olympics.
A Possible and Probable Cause: Lack of Funds and Support
While SSA did not provide any clear or convincing justification for its decision, many speculated that the underlying cause was the lack of funds and support for the water polo teams and the sport in general. SSA, which is facing financial and administrative challenges, might have decided to save money and resources by withdrawing the water polo teams from the Olympics, which would entail travel, accommodation, and equipment costs.
This was not the first time that SSA had shown a lack of funds and support for the water polo teams and the sport. In 2021, SSA had told the water polo teams that they would have to self-fund their trips to the Tokyo Olympics, which put a huge burden and pressure on the players and their families. SSA had also provided minimal or no training camps, coaching, and facilities for the water polo teams, which hampered their preparation and performance.
The water polo players and their supporters demanded that SSA should allocate more funds and support for the water polo teams and the sport, and that SSA should recognize and reward the efforts and achievements of the water polo players, who had overcome many obstacles and challenges to qualify for the Olympics. They also urged SSA to reconsider and reverse its decision, and to allow the water polo teams to participate and compete in the Paris Olympics.
