Referees & Officials: The Heroes in Blue of HaBaWaBa
Once again the international team led by Dante Saeli has made the great success of the Festival in Lignano Sabbiadoro possible
They are the only ones who are never forgiven for a mistake, yet also those without whom HaBaWaBa — and indeed, world waterpolo — could not move forward. We are talking about the referees and jury officials, who once again played their part excellently at the Festival, allowing around 1,500 children coming from 4 continents to take center stage in the largest and most colorful kids waterpolo event in the world.
Emanuele D'Onofrio, deb who directed the U13 Mixed Teams final (ph. Giacomello).
“Those referees soaked up everything like sponges, improving day after day”, comments Dante Saeli, former international referee and current board member of Waterpolo Development who heads the HaBa Referee project, with the assistance of Michele Ingannamorte. “Those who were at their second Festival confirmed their growth - Saeli continues . but even those who have just started refereeing did incredibly well, like Emanuele D’Onofrio, who refereed the U13 mixed teams final. The future belongs to them. I am also referring to the non-Italian referees, who showed tremendous quality”.
Zaza Albide, one of the best HaBaWaBa referees: he directed the U13 Girls final (ph. Giacomello).
Among the international referees was Egyptian Andrew Khela, an international official who refereed the U11 final, and Alexandra Kiss, former international for Hungary who has embarked on a career as a referee.
“The real problem is that the number of referees and especially jury officials in Italy is constantly shrinking... And I’m not talking about HaBaWaBa, but the movement in general. Returning to the Festival, HaBaWaBa remains a great school for referees”.
To all the members of the refereeing team, match officials, and jury members, goes the deepest gratitude from Waterpolo Development.Refees and jury officials of HaBaWaBa International Festival: Sohaib “Zaza” Albide, Gian Maria Angioi, Francesca Bolis, Valeria Canella, Paola Carmignola, Mattia Cavallaro, Perla Cidronelli, Roberta Cinà, Giuseppe Colangelo, Anna Consolo, Valentina Conta, Manuele D'Onofrio, Livio Dell'Aguzzo, Letizia Di Lillo, Mirko Facci, Simone Fatone, Fabio Favoino, Alessandro Fichera, Beatrice Gattafoni, Chiara Grando, Lucia Giada Gravino, Antonella Iannelli, Riccardo Izzo, Bohdan Konorenko, Giorgia Leo, Edoardo Locatelli, Giulia Morlupi, Francesco Pavone, Veronica Pavone, Irene Pecoraro, Juan Pablo Perissutti, Federica Rametta, Serena Rania, Filippo Ricciardi, Simone Romano, Carlotta Saeli, Eleonora Saeli, Federico Teti, Luca Tosi, Giorgia Trovato, Vincenzo Vagliano, Marina Valdettaro, Monica Valdettaro, Alessandro Venerio (Ita), Gabriella Varkonyi, Alexandra Kiss, Szombor Dobay, Armin Bodocsi (Hun), Andrew Khela (Egy).
Haba Referee Director: Dante Saeli; assitant: Michele Ingannamorte.
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.
