Water Polo Introduction

Water polo is a sports that combines speed, endurance, accuracy, and team spirit. The ball sport is played in water by two teams. The first ball game in water was played in the 1840s with players astride barrels pushing a ball toward a goal with paddles. Due to its resemblance to polo on horseback, it was named Water polo. As the sport has developed, it has become a more technical than physical game; calling upon speed, good swimming skills, and team spirit. Men's water polo was introduced in the 1900 Paris Olympic Games, which makes Water polo the longest standing team sport in Olympic history. Women's water polo became an official Olympic sport in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
- Information provided from Fortin, Francois. Sports: The Complete Visual Reference. Firefly Books, 2000.

The Introductory essay on this sport is being researched and written at this time. Consult the Bibliography and other selections in the Topic Menu box for further resources on this sport.