# Water polo at the 2003 World Aquatics Championships – Men's tournament

The 2003 Men's World Water Polo Championship was the tenth edition of the men's water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships, organised by the world governing body in aquatics, the FINA. The tournament was held from 14 to 26 July 2003, and was incorporated into the 2003 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

## Participating teams

| Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania |
| Brazil Canada United States | China Japan | Croatia Germany Greece Hungary Italy Romania Russia Serbia and Montenegro Slovakia Spain | Australia |

### Groups formed
## Preliminary round

* Qualified for the quarterfinals
* Qualified for the playoff round
* Will play for places 13–16

### Group A

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 15 | +14 |
| 2. | Croatia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 19 | +13 |
| 3. | Romania | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 4. | Canada | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 36 | –27 |
* July 14, 2003
| Canada | 3 – 10 | Romania |
| Croatia | 7 – 7 | Hungary |
* July 16, 2003
| Hungary | 9 – 5 | Romania |
| Canada | 3 – 13 | Croatia |
* July 18, 2003
| Canada | 3 – 13 | Hungary |
| Croatia | 12 – 9 | Romania |

### Group B

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | United States | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 16 | +16 |
| 2. | Serbia and Montenegro | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 18 | +9 |
| 3. | Australia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 22 | +9 |
| 4. | Japan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 39 | –26 |
* July 14, 2003
| Australia | 10 – 2 | Japan |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 5 – 5 | United States |
* July 16, 2003
| United States | 14 – 4 | Japan |
| Australia | 6 – 7 | Serbia and Montenegro |
* July 18, 2003
| Australia | 7 – 13 | United States |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 15 – 7 | Japan |

### Group C

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Italy | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 17 | +19 |
| 2. | Germany | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 22 | +5 |
| 3. | Greece | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 21 | +8 |
| 4. | China | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 42 | –32 |
* July 14, 2003
| China | 4 – 15 | Italy |
| Greece | 7 – 9 | Germany |
* July 16, 2003
| Germany | 8 – 11 | Italy |
| China | 2 – 17 | Greece |
* July 18, 2003
| China | 4 – 10 | Germany |
| Greece | 5 – 10 | Italy |

### Group D

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Spain | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 16 | +14 |
| 2. | Russia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 18 | +8 |
| 3. | Slovakia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 22 | –5 |
| 4. | Brazil | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 27 | –17 |
* July 14, 2003
| Russia | 8 – 5 | Slovakia |
| Spain | 10 – 3 | Brazil |
* July 16, 2003
| Slovakia | 7 – 4 | Brazil |
| Spain | 10 – 8 | Russia |
* July 18, 2003
| Russia | 10 – 3 | Brazil |
| Spain | 10 – 5 | Slovakia |

## Playoff round

* July 20, 2003
| Croatia | 6 – 10 | Australia |
| Romania | 3 – 11 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| Germany | 6 – 7 | Slovakia |
| Greece | 15 – 14 | Russia |

## Final round

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | | | |
| Hungary | 13 | | | |
| Hungary | 13 | July 24 – Barcelona | July 24 – Barcelona | | |
| Slovakia | 5 | July 24 – Barcelona | July 24 – Barcelona | |
| Slovakia | 5 | Hungary | 9 | |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | | Hungary | 9 | |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | Greece | 8 | |
| Greece | 4 | Greece | 8 | |
| Greece | 4 | | | | July 26 – Barcelona | July 26 – Barcelona |
| United States | 2 | | | | July 26 – Barcelona | July 26 – Barcelona |
| United States | 2 | | | | Hungary | 11 |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | | | | | Hungary | 11 |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | | | | Italy | 9 |
| Italy | 7 | | | | Italy | 9 |
| Italy | 7 | July 24 – Barcelona | July 24 – Barcelona | | | |
| Australia | 3 | July 24 – Barcelona | July 24 – Barcelona | | | |
| Australia | 3 | Italy | 6 | | | |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | | Italy | 6 | | | |
| July 22 – Barcelona | July 22 – Barcelona | Serbia and M. | 5 | | Third place | Third place |
| Serbia and M. | 7 | Serbia and M. | 5 | | Third place | Third place |
| Serbia and M. | 7 | | | | July 26 – Barcelona | July 26 – Barcelona |
| Spain | 3 | | | | July 26 – Barcelona | July 26 – Barcelona |
| Spain | 3 | | | | Greece | 3 |
| | | | | | Serbia and M. | 5 |

### Quarter finals

* July 22, 2003
| Hungary | 13 – 5 | Slovakia |
| United States | 2 – 4 | Greece |
| Spain | 3 – 7 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| Italy | 7 – 3 | Australia |

### Semi finals

* July 24, 2003
| Hungary | 9 – 8 | Greece |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 5 – 6 | Italy |

### Finals

* July 26, 2003 — Bronze Medal Match
| Greece | 3 – 5 | Serbia and Montenegro |
* July 26, 2003 — Gold Medal Match
| Hungary | 11 – 9 | Italy |

### 13th-16th place

| 13th - 16th place | 13th - 16th place | 13th place | 13th place |
| 2003-07-20 – Barcelona | 2003-07-20 – Barcelona |
| Canada | 6 |
| Canada | 6 | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona |
| Japan | 1 | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona |
| Japan | 1 | Canada | 5 |
| 2003-07-20 – Barcelona | 2003-07-20 – Barcelona | | Canada | 5 |
| 2003-07-20 – Barcelona | 2003-07-20 – Barcelona | Brazil | 6 |
| Brazil | 8 | Brazil | 6 |
| China | 6 | | |
| China | 6 | 15th place | 15th place |
| | | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona |
| | | Japan | 10 |
| | | China | 9 |
* July 20, 2003
| Canada | 6 – 1 | Japan |
| Brazil | 8 – 6 | China |
* July 22, 2003
| Japan | 10 – 9 | China |
| Brazil | 6 – 5 | Canada |

### 9th-12th place

| 9th - 12th place | 9th - 12th place | 9th place | 9th place |
| 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona |
| Croatia | 7 |
| Croatia | 7 | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona |
| Germany | 3 | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona |
| Germany | 3 | Croatia | 8 |
| 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | | Croatia | 8 |
| 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | 2003-07-22 – Barcelona | Russia | 2 |
| Russia | 9 | Russia | 2 |
| Romania | 6 | | |
| Romania | 6 | 11th place | 11th place |
| | | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona |
| | | Germany | 7 |
| | | Romania | 6 |
* July 22, 2003
| Croatia | 7 – 3 | Germany |
| Russia | 9 – 6 | Romania |
* July 24, 2003
| Germany | 7 – 6 | Romania |
| Croatia | 8 – 3 | Russia |

### 5th-8th place

| 5th - 8th place | 5th - 8th place | 5th place | 5th place |
| 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona |
| United States | 11 |
| United States | 11 | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona |
| Slovakia | 5 | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona |
| Slovakia | 5 | United States | 7 |
| 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | | United States | 7 |
| 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | 2003-07-24 – Barcelona | Spain | 9 |
| Spain | 10 | Spain | 9 |
| Australia | 8 | | |
| Australia | 8 | 7th place | 7th place |
| | | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona | 2003-07-26 – Barcelona |
| | | Slovakia | 8 |
| | | Australia | 11 |
* July 24, 2003
| United States | 11 – 5 | Slovakia |
| Spain | 10 – 8 | Australia |
* July 26, 2003
| Slovakia | 8 – 11 | Australia |
| United States | 7 – 9 | Spain |

## Final ranking

| Rank | Team |
| | Hungary |
| | Italy |
| | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 4. | Greece |
| 5. | Spain |
| 6. | United States |
| 7. | Australia |
| 8. | Slovakia |
| 9. | Croatia |
| 10. | Russia |
| 11. | Germany |
| 12. | Romania |
| 13. | Brazil |
| 14. | Canada |
| 15. | Japan |
| 16. | China |
* 2003 FINA Men's World champions
* Hungary Second title
* Team Roster
* Tibor Benedek, Péter Biros, Rajmund Fodor, István Gergely, Tamás Kásás, Gergely Kiss, Norbert Madaras, Tamás Molnár, Barnabás Steinmetz, Zoltán Szécsi, Tamás Varga, Zsolt Varga, Attila Vári Head coach: Dénes Kemény

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Hungary Tibor Benedek (c) Péter Biros Rajmund Fodor István Gergely Tamás Kásás Gergely Kiss Norbert Madaras Tamás Molnár Barnabás Steinmetz Zoltán Szécsi Tamás Varga Zsolt Varga Attila Vári Head coach Dénes Kemény | Italy Alberto Angelini Fabio Bencivenga Fabrizio Buonocore Alessandro Calcaterra Roberto Calcaterra Maurizio Felugo Goran Fiorentini Marco Gerini Andrea Mangiante Francesco Postiglione Bogdan Rath Carlo Silipo (c) Stefano Tempesti Head coach Paolo de Crescenzo | Serbia and Montenegro Aleksandar Ćirić Vladimir Gojković Danilo Ikodinović Viktor Jelenić Predrag Jokić Nikola Kuljača Slobodan Nikić Aleksandar Šapić Dejan Savić Denis Šefik Vanja Udovičić Vladimir Vujasinović (c) Boris Zloković Head coach Nenad Manojlović |

## Individual awards

* Most Valuable Player
   * Roberto Calcaterra (ITA)
* Best Goalkeeper
   * Denis Sefik (SCG)
* Topscorer
   * Aleksandar Sapic (SCG)