In 2020 HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa PLUS U13 change in order to adapt to the coronavirus emergency. Uncertainty still reigns over the possibility to perform open-door sports events, so Waterpolo Development decided to turn its most important events of the year into the new HaBaWaBa Academy: it will be an event developed in two weeks, at Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy), which will allow the teams that had registered at HaBaWaBa International Festival and the HaBaWaBa PLUS U13 to train together in total safety and to practice under the guidance of some of the most skilled coaches of the international waterpolo world. The technical director of HaBaWaBa Academy will be Ratko Rudic, legend of waterpolo and international sport who won 4 Olympic gold medals as head coach of 3 different national teams (Yugoslavia, Italy and Croatia). Last May Rudic, who is also co-founder and member of the board of Waterpolo Development, retired as coach, however he decided to return to the pool in order to live the adventure of HaBaWaBa Academy.
Ratko Rudic, technical director of HaBaWaBa Academy
Other prestigious names of waterpolo world will be in Lignano Sabbiadoro with him: the Olympic champion and Italian Settebello legend Carlo Silipo, the Olympic bronzes Francesco Postiglione and Fabio Bencivenga, Ildiko Szedlmayer, coach of the prestigious Hungarian waterpolo academy of KSI, and Mino Di Cecca, for years included in the coaching staff of the Italian youth national teams. The coaches of the teams participating to HaBaWaBa Academy will have the opportunity to follow the Waterpolo Development coaches both in their pool work and in the clinics scheduled during the week, in order to increase their own skills.
From August 30th to September 6th, when HaBaWaBa International Festival should have took place, HaBaWaBa Academy will welcome 9U and 11U teams. From 6th to 13rd September, when HaBaWaBa PLUS U13 should have been held, it will be the turn of the 13U teams.
The pre-registration fees paid by the clubs for HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa PLUS U13 will be valid for registration to HaBaWaBa Academy. Individual athletes can also register on their own.
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- Carlo Silipo
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- Francesco Postiglione
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- Fabio Bencivenga
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- Ildiko Szedlmayer
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- Mino Di Cecca
“In less than 12 years since their birth HaBaWaBa International Festival and later HaBaWaBa PLUS U13 have become the most innovative youth waterpolo events in the world – explains President of Waterpolo Development Bruno Cufino – as well as the ones with the highest number of participating teams (more than 200 in 2019, ed). And we are proud of this!
The devastating cyclone of Covid-19 forced us to postpone at the end of the summer what we had planned in June, but today, at the end of July, the uncertainty that still reigns pushed us to give a different approach to the scheduled events, but without distorting them in content. This is how HaBaWaBa Academy was born, it will allow the little athletes to live a new experience, diversifying and expanding their skills, in a sort of joyful full immersion in the game of ball in the water and a real approach to waterpolo. All of this will happen under the guidance and programs of the highly qualified technical staff provided by Waterpolo Development, led for the occasion by the most prestigious of our board members, Ratko Rudic. Along with him there will be many of his Olympic medalists and highly qualified coaches! HaBaWaBa Academy will be an immense experience also for the young coaches following the teams.
We are sure that those days, like those experienced by other children in previous years, will remain forever in the heart and memory of the little athletes. And just like everything Waterpolo Development has organized in the past, this event will be a great success: and maybe even when in 2021 the magic of the HaBaWaBa festivals will finally return, HaBaWaBa Academy will be continued”.
CLICK HERE FOR THE HABAWABA ACADEMY REGISTRATION GUIDE
