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.
Today the new edition of the world's biggest waterpolo event for kids is beginning in Lignano Sabbiadoro: an experience beyond sport
Dear friends of HaBaWaBa,Bruno Cufino, President of Waterpolo Development.
as president of Waterpolo Development I’m glad to start the 2025 edition of world's biggest waterpolo event for kids. Also this year, HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS are bringing little players from all 5 continents to Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro: we have 147teams participating, 15 nations are represented. The uniqueness of HaBaWaBa lies precisely in its global nature, here kids can meet, play and make friends with other children who fell in love with waterpolo, coming from different countries. Once again, kids are going to learn that sport is a universal language that breaks down all kinds of barriers.
I also would like to extend a special greeting to the girls who will participate in the U13 female tournament: Waterpolo Development has worked hard to strengthen this competition and is pleased to have more than doubled the number of participating teams compared to the last edition. Waterpolo needs girls and women in order to grow, IOC has also understand this: at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028, for the first time the number of women teams will be the same as the number of men teams (12). My hope is that some of our HaBaWaBa girls will be able to participate in the Olympics sooner or later: it has already happened in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, where as many as 21 players who had been to HaBaWaBa as children took part.
We call them HaBaWaBa Stars: thanks to the “game of the ball in the water” they have made their bond with waterpolo indissoluble, their love for the sport has enabled them to enthusiastically walk the long road to becoming world-class athletes. And even if there will be no Olympics in their future, I am sure they are going to experience special moments here at HaBaWaBa: it has already happened to tens of thousands of kids!
Before the show starts, I would like you to thank our sponsors - Turbo,Compact Goals, Ossidabile and All Risk Consulenze Assicurative - and the little players’ families, clubs and coaches who brought them here: without them, HaBaWaBa could not be the magical event that it is.
And now, have fun: HaBaWaBa is finally starting!
