The men s draw will feature 12 teams, but Canada s men s team will not be among them. Water polo involves plenty of physical contact as players battle for possession of the ball. One of the most demanding of team sports, water polo requires tremendous all-around athleticism. Players can end up swimming over three kilometres in a game, all without touching the sides or bottom of the pool. In addition to being strong swimmers, they must also be able to handle the rigours of the contact sport.
Opponents constantly battle for the ball, resulting in frequent fouls and stoppages of play.
Water polo resembles several other teams sports, with the obvious difference being it s played in water. Just as in soccer and team handball, the object is to score by putting the ball past the goalkeeper into a net, with a number of tactics, manoeuvres and ball movements similar to basketball. A water polo player takes a penalty shot. It may already appear to be an aggressive sport, but it is relatively tame compared to its earlier incarnations. There is some debate about the exact origins of water polo, but the fact that it was violent from birth is undisputed.