Water Polo Canada selects roster for FINA Women's World League Water Polo

Water Polo Canada selects roster for FINA World League Women’s Preliminaries and Super Final

 

Ottawa, March 31, 2013 – Water Polo Canada is announcing its roster for the World League Training Camp (May 17-22, 2013), the World League preliminary round (California, May 23-26, 2013) and the World League Super Final (Beijing, China, June 1-6, 2013). Canadian women have earned a silver medal at the Super Final, a premiere FINA international event, in 2009. Canada is hoping for another strong performance from its team, less than two months before the 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

 

“This is an important opportunity to bring our full squad together for the first time after players have participated in various leagues, training camps and events over the last months,” said women’s Head Coach Guy Baker. “Competing against other good teams through the World League events will allow us to continue to evaluate where we are and help finalize our preparations heading into the World Championships.”

 

Team veteran, 2004 Olympian and Montrealer Christine Robinson will be part of the group heading west in mid-May. “The team selected for the World League events is a blend of veterans who have been playing together for years, and of newcomers who will be playing for the first or second time at the senior international level,” she said. “It's a really great combination of women, each having something special to bring to the table. We are looking forward to finding out what we can accomplish as a group at the World League games.”

 

The roster also includes Joelle Bekhazi from Pointe-Claire, Quebec, who received the Most Valuable Player title at the recent UANA tournament in Calgary, where the team qualified for the World Championships. “We are excited to play in an international tournament of this scale. It will be great to measure where we are in comparison to the world,” she said.

 

The following athletes have been selected for the event:

 

Athlete
 Age
 Hometown
 Canadian Club Affiliation
 
Krystina Alogbo
 27
 Rivière-des-Prairies (Montreal), QC
 CAMO
 
Sophie Baron Lasalle
 22
 Montreal, QC
 CAMO
 
Joelle Bekhazi
 25
 Pointe-Claire (Montreal), QC
 Dollard
 
Emily Csikos
 24
 Calgary, AB
 Calgary Renegades
 
Nicola Colterjohn
 20
 Hamilton, ON
 Hamilton
 
Carmen Eggens
 25
 Pitt Meadows, BC
 Pacific Storm
 
Monika Eggens
 22
 Pitt Meadows, BC
 Pacific Storm
 
Rae Lekness
 18
 Bragg Creek, AB
 Calgary Renegades
 
Katrina Monton
 25
 Dorval (Montreal), QC
 Dollard
 
Dominique Perreault
 28
 Montréal, QC
 CAMO
 
Marina Radu
 28
 Pointe-Claire (Montreal), QC
 Dollard
 
Michèle Relton
 21
 Beaconsfield (Montreal), QC
 Dollard
 
Christine Robinson
 28
 Lachine (Montreal), QC
 Dollard
 
Stephanie Valin
 25
 Montreal, QC
 Dollard
 
Emma Wright
 16
 Lindsay, ON
 Shadow Water Polo Club
 

The women’s World League was added in 2004, two years after the foundation of its male counterpart, as a result of the growing interest in women’s water polo at the international level. The league features preliminary continental tournaments for both men and women. The top two teams from each of the Americas and Asia/Oceania tournaments join four teams from Europe in the Championship tournament (known as the "Super Final") where the league’s male and female champions are crowned.

 

Water Polo Canada

 

Pascale Beaudoin 613-748-5682, ext. 328

 

Cell: 514-758-7472 or [email protected]

 

 

About Water Polo Canada  --  Water Polo Canada is the National Sport Organization and governing body for the Sport of Water Polo in Canada.  It manages the National and Olympic Teams as well as the domestic development plan. ( www.waterpolo.ca)