DuPage County to Host Three Water Polo Championships

USA Water Polo has announced an agreement with the DuPage County (Illinois) Sports Commission that will bring three championship events to the area.

The FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park will host the 2022 Kap7 Champions Cup, and its return in 2024, as well as a 2024 USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program National Championship.

“I was born in former Yugoslavia, a region that to this day remains a powerhouse in water polo,” said Igor Bakovic, director of sports for the DuPage Sports Commission. “I have a passion for the sport and jumped at the opportunity to have it here in DuPage. The USA Water Polo programs are exceptional — USA women have won the last three Olympic gold medals and USA men are proving a formidable force with the program on the rise.”

The Kap7 Champions Cup will take place November 4–6, 2022. The event has competition in two divisions, with the best youth water polo players going for gold in the girls’ and boys’ divisions. Champions Cup is specifically for athletes who are 14 years and younger, and in eighth grade or under. The event is anticipated to feature approximately 24 teams and 480 athletes.

In 2024, the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program will draw at least 900 athletes ages 18 and under in the youth, cadet, and development levels, as over the course of three days they train with the goal to represent USA Water Polo in domestic and international competition.

“USA Water Polo is so excited to bring three premier events to DuPage County and the Midwest, where there is an undeniable passion for the sport of water polo,” said USA Water Polo Chief Growth Officer Ryan Cunnane. “To be able to host the events at a facility like the FMC Natatorium is an ideal scenario. We are so appreciative of the efforts of the staff at the DuPage Sports Commission and the FMC Natatorium to help set the stage for these competitions. With a tremendous history of water polo, the state of Illinois is only primed for even greater growth of the game and these events help us accomplish two key goals – hosting exceptional events and increasing water polo opportunities nationwide.”

Both the Champions Cup and Olympic Development Program will be hosted at FMC Natatorium, which opened in 2020 and is considered in line with the top 10 indoor facilities in the country. It offers a nine-lane competition pool, eight-lane training pool, four locker rooms, moveable bulkheads and seating for 1,200.