Canoe Polo
Canoe Polo which is also called Kayak Polo as competitors use a kayak. This sport is simply known as polo to the professionals. Canoe polo is a combination of water polo, basketball, and kayaking.
There are two teams comprised of 8 players each, 5 on the pitch and 3 substitutes. The objective is to score in the opposing team’s goal, which is suspended approximately two meters above the water. The ball can be thrown using the hands or a paddle can be used to pass between the players and also to shoot the goal. This sport can be played in swimming pools or any stretch of flat water.
Canoe PoloThe game lasts around 14 to 20 minutes. It consists of 7 to 10 minutes halved. The teams should change courts at half time; the half time is around 1 or 3 minutes.
Canoe polo starts with a sprint. The referee throws the ball to the middle of the pitch; one player from each team should sprint towards the ball to win possession.
Canoe Sport at the World Games
Canoe polo is one of the disciplines at the World Games. It is a dynamic team sport contested on open water or in a swimming pool. This sport combines paddling and ball handling skills. The goal of each team is to score more goals than the other team before the end of each half.
Other disciplined featured in the Canoe Sport apart from Canoe Polo include Dragon Boat and Canoe Marathon. It was first featured in the 2005 Dulsburg World Games with just two disciplines - Dragon Boat and Canoe Polo. Here are the medalists who won gold at the end of this event at the 2025 Chengdu World Games:
| Event | Medal | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Gold | PRESCHER Julian Oskar UNTERFELD Lennart RIECKE Tim BEUKENBUSCH Erik BECKMANN Arne Linus KIRCHHOFF Rene VIEREN Jonas KONRAD Leon Max Paul |
Germany |
| Women | Gold | RUTZEN Jill Lara OZBAY Esra KUNZ Hannah Elisa SCHAEPER Svenja SCHMALENBACH Nele WAGNER Leonie HACHENBURG Nina GRÜNEWALD Katharin |
Germany |
Similar Sports
- Kayak Football — participants in kayaks attempt to get a small soft football into the end zone.
- Surf Polo — water polo played in the water while riding surfboards.
- Beach Water Polo — an open water version of water polo played on a smaller field with four players per team.
- Water Polo — a team sport played in swimming pools, the aim is to pass the ball over the water and into the goal net.
- Inner Tube Water Polo — a variation of water polo that is played while sitting on inner tubes in a pool.
- Polo (Horse Polo) — a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to hit a ball into a goal using a long-handled mallet.
- Kayaking — boat races using a small, narrow boat propelled using a double-bladed paddle.
- Canoeing — paddle sport in which the rider kneels or sits facing forward in a canoe.
Related Pages
- About Paddling Sports
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports — a list of every sport from around the world.