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.
Kids becoming coaches, with HaBaWaBa in their hearts · HaBaWaBa
Kidsbecomingcoaches,withHaBaWaBaintheirhearts
Many young waterpolo lovers who have participated as players in the past editions of International Festival are back in Lignano with a new position
You can fall in love with the HaBaWaBa International Festival to the point of returning even when you’re no longer a child. That's what happened to some young waterpolo lovers participating in the 15th edition as coaches, after having been at HaBaWaBa years ago as players.
Lindsey Harris (the coach on the right) with Los Alamitos Foundation U12 team. In the cover pic Sturla coach Lorenzo Bisso (Giacomello Foto).
“I played in 2016 with the United Water Polo Club" says Lindsey Harris, coach of the Los Alamitos Aquatic Foundation, that came from US participating in the U12 tournament. "I remember the parties - she tells -, the dancing, sharing a room with another girl: 6 boys were across the hall, but they were always in our room messing around with us. I found a different waterpolo from America, but very fun. Then I also remember the exchange of T-shirts and gadgets: the players from other teams wanted to have stuff with the America's flag on it. Now I am living this experience as a coach, but I tell the kids how much fun I had. I see the same joy in their eyes”.
Sportiva Sturla from Genoa, Italy, has a whole troop of formerHaBaWaBa players: coach of U12 Lorenzo Bisso, Matteo Provvedi and Marco Doretti for U10. “What I remember most is my team - Lorenzo states - the coaches especially, Davide Martinello and Alberto Bodrato who are still at HaBaWaBa nowadays. I remember the importance they gave to the rules to follow and how excited we kids were for what we were going to experience in this tournament”."Marco and I played together at HaBaWaBa - Matteo says - then together we were part of Sturla senior team, and now we're back together with these kids, who make us have fun”. Marco Doretti and Matteo Provvedi.Ettore Bodrato, class of 2007, is the very young assistant coach of U12 MySport from Genoa: at HaBaWaBa he played with Camogli and MySport. "Now I would like to get back in the water, throwing and playing together with the kids. Of my experience as player I remember an outdoor game in the rain Dune pool, it was exciting. And then us kids eating lunch and dinner all together: ‘eat your vegetables’, the coach used to repeat”. The coach now is his father Alberto, who asked Ettore to return with him to Lignano Sabbiadoro this year. "I have to be careful not to get emotional - Bodrato senior confesses, Sharing this important part of my life with him is very nice, HaBaWaBa is a family thing, also his brother Eugenio came here several times”.
Federico Carrozza, Zero9 coach and former HaBaWaBa player with Acilia, is already on his second coaching appointment in Lignano.
Finally, we have Stavros Xanthopoulos, who even won HaBaWaBa twice when he played for Vouliagmeni as a child. He became a coach and made sure that Ilioupolis, his new very young club from Athens, participated in the Festival at all costs. "We are here because I hope the kids have as much fun as I did. Then, if we also should get a trophy…”.
