Waterpolo is not a very famous sport.
In Spain there is a great level.The most famous player in the world is
Manuel Estiarte. (see upper photograph). He is from Spain, and plays in
the italian league. The best players in Spain are from Catalunya.
In the Atlanta ´96 Olimpics
Games, the olimpic waterpolo team of Spain ( the photograph on the right
) won the gold medal. The final was Spain vs Croatia. Four years before,
Spain won the silver medal in the olimpics games of Barcelona´92.
Spain lost the final with Italy. In 1994, Spain lost again the final of
waterpolo World-Cup with Italy. This time was in Rome. The referees didn´t
have their best day. In the waterpolo World-Cup of the 1998, Spain won
the gold medal, playing the final with Hungary. This time in Perth ( downer
Photograph ) .
Here, in Basque Country, there are about 17 teams. There are two regional leagues with 8 or 9 teams in each one. The Basque Country´s league does not have the same level as Catalunya, but in the 1994-95 season, UPV Askartza ( the best team of Basque Country ) got to play in the highest league of Spain. UPV Askartza was only a year in that league because it was not very lucky and it went back to the regional league. Two years later the team has promoted again to the first league of Spain, in the 1996-97 season. This means that the level of the Basque Country´s waterpolo is geting better.
The team where I play is Fadura swimming club. Our team is one of the eight best teams in Basque Country. Fadura swimming club has two teams of waterpolo. The best one play in the first regional league and the other one in the second.
