HaBaWaBa International Festival & PLUS: dates and news for 2025
WPD changes categories: Lignano will host the event for U11 and U9 from June 15 to 22. U13 tournaments for mixed and girls teams are set from June 22 to 29
The countdown can start: Waterpolo Development has set the dates for the new edition of HaBaWaBa, the biggest waterpolo event for kids, which since 2008 has brought together young waterpolo players from all over the world in the name of the noblest values of sport and the passion for “the game of the ball in the water”. Please note: the 2025 edition presents some important news related to the age group categories.
HABAWABA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR U11 & U9. The Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) will be once the venue of the HaBaWaBa events also in 2025. The 17th edition of HaBaWaBa International Festival is scheduled for June, from 15th to 22nd: the event will be reserved for boys’, girls’ and mixed teams (i.e. composed of boys and girls) belonging to U11 (players born in 2014 and following years) and U9 (2016 and following) age group categories. The Festival therefore returns to its original categories, after the years of post-Covid management which it had moved to U12 and U10 in: in order to facilitate the transition, each team registered for HaBaWaBa International Festival may include 6 over-age players. This means that each U11 team may register for the event 6 players born in 2013; and each U9 team may include 6 little waterpolo players born in 2015. WARNING: ONLY 3 OVER-AGE PLAYERS will be able to be in the game list for a single game (and therefore to play it), with the others required to sit fully dressed on the bench. The registration of over-age players is obviously optional.
“HaBaWaBa was born with the U11 and U9 categories - President of Waterpolo Development Bruno Cufino explains - in order to introduce kids to waterpolo as early as possible and to support their technical development in the best possible way. After the exceptions of recent years, we thought it was the time to bring HaBaWaBa back to its origins”.
HABAWABA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL PLUS FOR U13. The 9th edition of HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS remains reserved for the U13 age group category: only waterpolo players born in 2012 and following years can be registered. The event, scheduled at Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro on June 2025, from 22nd to 29th, includes two different tournaments: one of them is dedicated exclusively to girls’ teams, the other one is for boys’ or mixed teams. “Women’s waterpolo needs more support - Cufino continues - for this reason HaBaWaBa PLUS has a girls tournament for years. However, in the 2025 edition we are aiming for a significantly higher participation of all-girls’ teams and a better organization of their tournament: we are already working in this direction. Furthermore, we have given clubs that do not have enough girls to form an all-female team the possibility to insert their girls individually or in small groups into their teams registered for the boys’ tournament”.
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS AND SPONSORS. Announcing the dates of HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025, Waterpolo Development would like to thank the partners who make these events possible: the institutional supporters World Aquatics, European Aquatics, COMEN and FIN; the sponsors Turbo, Compact Waterpolo Goals, Ossidabile and All Risks Consulenze Assicurative S.r.l.. HaBaWaBa 2025 will take place under the patronage of the Comune di Lignano Sabbiadoro and the association of European Olympic Committees (EOC).
REGISTRATIONS. Registrations for the HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS will open on October 15th and will close on January 31st: all the details will soon be available on the official website HaBaWaBa.com.
HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025
HABAWABA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR U11 & U9. The Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Italy) will be once the venue of the HaBaWaBa events also in 2025. The 17th edition of HaBaWaBa International Festival is scheduled for June, from 15th to 22nd: the event will be reserved for boys’, girls’ and mixed teams (i.e. composed of boys and girls) belonging to U11 (players born in 2014 and following years) and U9 (2016 and following) age group categories. The Festival therefore returns to its original categories, after the years of post-Covid management which it had moved to U12 and U10 in: in order to facilitate the transition, each team registered for HaBaWaBa International Festival may include 6 over-age players. This means that each U11 team may register for the event 6 players born in 2013; and each U9 team may include 6 little waterpolo players born in 2015. WARNING: ONLY 3 OVER-AGE PLAYERS will be able to be in the game list for a single game (and therefore to play it), with the others required to sit fully dressed on the bench. The registration of over-age players is obviously optional.
“HaBaWaBa was born with the U11 and U9 categories - President of Waterpolo Development Bruno Cufino explains - in order to introduce kids to waterpolo as early as possible and to support their technical development in the best possible way. After the exceptions of recent years, we thought it was the time to bring HaBaWaBa back to its origins”.
HABAWABA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL PLUS FOR U13. The 9th edition of HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS remains reserved for the U13 age group category: only waterpolo players born in 2012 and following years can be registered. The event, scheduled at Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro on June 2025, from 22nd to 29th, includes two different tournaments: one of them is dedicated exclusively to girls’ teams, the other one is for boys’ or mixed teams. “Women’s waterpolo needs more support - Cufino continues - for this reason HaBaWaBa PLUS has a girls tournament for years. However, in the 2025 edition we are aiming for a significantly higher participation of all-girls’ teams and a better organization of their tournament: we are already working in this direction. Furthermore, we have given clubs that do not have enough girls to form an all-female team the possibility to insert their girls individually or in small groups into their teams registered for the boys’ tournament”.
OFFICIAL SUPPORTERS AND SPONSORS. Announcing the dates of HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025, Waterpolo Development would like to thank the partners who make these events possible: the institutional supporters World Aquatics, European Aquatics, COMEN and FIN; the sponsors Turbo, Compact Waterpolo Goals, Ossidabile and All Risks Consulenze Assicurative S.r.l.. HaBaWaBa 2025 will take place under the patronage of the Comune di Lignano Sabbiadoro and the association of European Olympic Committees (EOC).
REGISTRATIONS. Registrations for the HaBaWaBa International Festival and HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS will open on October 15th and will close on January 31st: all the details will soon be available on the official website HaBaWaBa.com.
HaBaWaBa International Festival 2025
- GENDER: mixed teams tournaments.
- AGE GROUP CATEGORIES: U11 (born in 2014 + 3 over-age players born in 2013 for team) and U9 teams (born in 2016 + 3 over-age players born in 2015 for team).
- DATES: June, 2025, from 15th to 22nd.
- VENUE: Bella Italia & EFA Village, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy.
HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025
- GENDER: mixed teams tournament + girls teams tournament.
- AGE GROUP CATEGORY: U13 (born in 2012)
- DATES: June, 2025, from 22th to 29nd.
- VENUE: Bella Italia & EFA Village, Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy.
***
Click here for further infos about HaBaWaBa