Coach and referee training camp heralds next phase of Water Skyball’s expansion

Aspiring Water Skyball coaches and referees from across Europe recently took part in training camp in Hungary as the sport prepares to launch new leagues throughout the continent.

Originally developed in Hungary, the sport is gaining popularity and is on the cusp of international expansion with the help of new portable goals that allow organisers to take the game almost anywhere.

The coach and referee training session was held at the Fontanus Sports Centre near Szeged, a day before the WSB Amateur Cup at the Makó Hagymatikum Spa in nearby Makó.

“We’ve come a long way since the first Water Skyball match back in 2014,” says Water Skyball Federation President Zsolt Gyuris.

“We had 20 coaches and referees at the training camp and our amateur cup saw eight teams competing.”

Gyuris said the training would create a “springboard” for the aquatic sport’s growth, with competitive championships outside of Hungary launching in Germany and Poland this year and in Romania and Greece in 2025.

Among those in attendance at the open championship was Peter Roberts, chief executive of Packaworld International – the company behind the innovative portable goals and fields supporting the sport’s expansion.

Water Skyball goals are four metres wide and traditionally made of metal but Packaworld has developed a high-quality inflatable version that is rigid once pumped up, can be transported easily between venues, cities and countries, and is easy to store.

“The portable goals are the final piece of the puzzle and a real game-changer for organisers because it means fields of play can be transported and set up anywhere.

“One of the beauties of Water Skyball is that it can be played by almost anyone. There’s strategy and skill involved if you want to play at the top level, but it’s also a sport that beginners and children can safely enjoy because it’s played in waist-deep water.”

Roberts said being at the training camp and amateur cup in Hungary at such a pivotal moment in the sport’s development was “exhilarating”.

“It’s a sport with massive potential and one we’re proud to be supporting from early on through development of bespoke portable goals. The science behind Water Skyball is fascinating – this is a sport that has literally been engineered for enjoyment, inclusion and strategic thinking.”

Water Skyball is the result of a five-year research project undertaken by experts from the Fontanus Centre – a privately funded research centre headquartered in Szeged that undertakes study and projects focusing on human development.

Gyuris said Water Skyball was created by the research team to be the perfect combination of entertainment, physical and mental skills development, and accessibility.

Within the space of 10 years, the sport has gone from research project to the mainstream, with a national championship run annually in Hungary and teams now playing regularly in Germany, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Greece and Austria.

Another amateur cup is planned at Hungary’s Lake Balaton on 2-4 August and a tournament is scheduled to take place in Heinsberg, Germany, on 17-18 August.

Gyuris said the next step for the sport would be setting up competitive leagues outside Hungary and taking it across the Atlantic to the United States.

“We can’t wait to see where this exciting next phase of Water Skyball’s journey takes us.”

What is Water Skyball?

Water Skyball is an aquatic sport played in waist-deep water between teams of two. Teams score points by throwing a ball into a four-metre-wide goal that is divided into three sections – each worth a different number of points.

Water Skyball Training of Trainers

>> Want to know more about Packaworld's portable Water Skyball Packagoals and fields of play? View our Water Skyball goals and fields web page.