Grand Globe at HaBaWaBa: the fundraiser for the Italian-Palestinian team

Amid countless difficulties, the dream of Palestinian waterpolo goes on: Fadi Awisat - coach of Jerusalem Marlins Water Polo, a team founded a year ago in East Jerusalem - is keeping it alive. He found help in Grand Globe, the project launched in the spring together with Italian coach Alfredo D’Ilario, which aimed to bring an Italian-Palestinian team to the HaBaWaBa International Festival 2025, the biggest kids waterpolo event in the world, held every year in Italy. At that time, bureaucracy got in the way, and Grand Globe arrived at HaBaWaBa without the Jerusalem Marlins’ players. However Awisat and D’Ilario have not given up: ahead of the HaBaWaBa Egypt event in Somabay (scheduled from December 18 to 22, 2025) a fundraiser has been launched on the GoFundMe platform to cover the expenses of the Palestinian athletes. If the amount raised will not be enough to finance the trip to Egypt, the money will still be made available to the Jerusalem Marlins for the purchase of technical equipment - swimsuits, goals, balls, caps - or for participation in the 2026 edition of HaBaWaBa International Festival, scheduled next summer in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. Click here to support the Grand Globe project and the activities of the Jerusalem Marlins Water Polo

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Common questions

What is the HaBaWaBa International Festival?

The biggest youth water polo event in the world: for U9, U11 and U13, held every year in Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD) and drawing teams from five continents.

When is the next Festival?

From 13 to 20 June the week for U9 and U11, from 20 to 27 June the week for U13.

Do boys and girls play together?

U9 and U11 tournaments include girls’, boys’ and mixed teams. The U13 event is split into a girls-only tournament and one for boys-only or mixed teams.

How do you enter the Festival?

Open the page of the event for your team (U9-U11 or U13) and follow the Registration Guide: it contains the information, duties, costs and deadlines. A club can enter more than one team in a single tournament.

Where do teams stay during the Festival?

Teams, made up of players, coaches and officials, all stay inside Bella Italia & EFA Village. Parents, family and supporters travelling with the team can enter the village by paying admission.

What is the Champion’s Passport?

It is a code of ethics: the values of sport to respect in order to be part of the HaBaWaBa community.

What is the aim of the HaBaWaBa project?

To spread the values of sport among children and create a deep bond with water polo through an unforgettable experience.

All questions