2019 wrapped: 2.000 athletes and 34 countries
BIWPA closes 2019 with 7 weeks of camps, 4 tournaments, another season at the Academy, clinics in the US and 13 team training camps.
In the year of its fifth anniversary, BIWPA offered a record-breaking number of services. A total of 13 teams travelled to Barcelona to take part in one of BIWPA's team training camps, from February to October.
The water polo organization also held its first ever water polo camp in the US. Two weeks in Florida, together with the five usual weeks in Barcelona, made a total of 7 weeks of camps.
As for the events, the Barcelona Masters Cup was another of BIWPA's new features this year. The Masters event, together with the 2nd edition of the HaBaWaBa Spain, the 3rd Beach Water Polo and the 4th Turbo Cup were the four events in 2019.
In June, the Academy finished the fifth season with a great number of athletes and nationalities.
Academy
BIWPA's core service, the international water polo academy, finished the 18/19 season with a total of 41 athletes. 18 of the student-athletes stayed the full academic year, 7 for one semester and 16 came to Barcelona for a short program.
Thanks to the Academy's agreement with ES International School, an American school with an accredited educational program, 19 athletes from the US joined the Academy last season. The year finished with student-athletes from 9 different countries.
It was a great year also for the Academy in the US. The three coaches attended the 2019 Junior Olympics in the Orange County to explain the project to American athletes. Additionally, they also gave clinics in Los Altos, Walnut Creek, Commerce, La Jolla and Pacific with more than 100 athletes.
Events
The first tournament was the Barcelona Masters Cup. The first edition of the Masters event took place in Barcelona with 21 teams from 10 different countries. The Masters Cup was followed by the 2nd HaBaWaBa Spain in Reus, with 30 teams from 8 countries.
The 3rd edition of the Beach Water Polo tournament in Palamós welcomed 20 teams from 7 countries and Felipe Perrone and Álvaro Granados as top players. Finally, the 4th edition of the Turbo Cup hosted 16 teams from 4 nationalities in the Olympic Montjuic Pool.
Team Training Camps
Last year was outstanding in terms of team training camps. 13 teams from 6 countries chose Barcelona and BIWPA in 2019. We hosted college teams such as the UC Davis men's team, professional teams such as the Dutch Widex GZC Donk or the 680 Water Polo 18u women's team, who took gold in the Junior Olympics.
It is also worth mentioning that the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program (ODP), the so-called Futures, trusted BIWPA to arrange a camp for the cadet teams, while Woc Zuid from the Netherlands came with five teams and 60 players.
Water Polo Camps
The very first edition of the Florida International Water Polo Camp was a rounded success, with more than 130 campers in two sessions.
Besides, BIWPA held one week of Easter Camp and four weeks of summer camp at the high performance center CAR Sant Cugat and CN Barcelona with 130 campers during the five weeks.
