Underwater hockey in Australia

Underwater hockey has been played in Australia since 1966 and is played in most states and territories. As of September 2013, Australia has been very successful at the international level finishing in the top three 43 times including being the world champion in various divisions 23 times out of 53 appearances at 17 international events.

Victoria versus Western Australia at the 2004 Nationals in Tasmania, Australia.

History

edit

Underwater hockey has been played in Australia since 1966. Its introduction is attributed to Norm Leibeck, an Australian who returned from Canada both with Marlene, his Canadian bride, and a recently-acquired knowledge of underwater hockey then known as Octopush. The first Australian Underwater Hockey Championships was held in 1975 at Margaret River, Western Australia as part of the Australian Skindiving Convention (now called the Australian Underwater Championships). A Women's division was added to the championships in 1981 and a Junior division commenced in 1990.[1][2][3]

Governance

edit

The peak body is the Underwater Hockey Commission (known as Underwater Hockey Australia) of the Australian Underwater Federation (AUF). There are state commissions in all states and territories with the exception of the Northern Territory. Underwater hockey has a coaching stream as part of the AUF's coaching program in underwater sport with two levels being accredited with the Australian Government's National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS).[4][5]

Domestic competitions

edit

Underwater hockey is played at venues in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.[6] The national championships are held annually and as an event separate from the Australian Underwater Championships since 1994.[7][8]

As of 2017, the Australia nationals have six separate divisions based on age and gender – Under 15, Under 19 Mixed, Under 19 Women's, Masters, Elite Women's and Elite Men's.[9]

National team

edit

Australia has played at world level since the inaugural world championship event in 1980. Australia did not send teams to the 15th CMAS World Championship in 2007 or to the 16th CMAS World Championship in 2009.[10][11][12]

At the World Championships

edit
Year Championship Location event Men's Elite Women's Elite Men's Masters Women's Masters Men's U-19 Women's U-19 Men's U-23/24 Women's U-23/24
1980 1st CMAS World Championship   Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[13] 3 No event No event No event No event No event No event No event
1982 2nd CMAS World Championship   Brisbane, Australia[14] 1 1
1984 3rd CMAS World Championship   Chicago, United States[15][16] 1 1
1986 4th CMAS World Championship   Adelaide, Australia[17] 2 1
1988 5th CMAS World Championship   Amersfoort, Netherlands[18] 1 3
1990 6th CMAS World Championship   Montreal, Quebec, Canada[19] 1 1
1992 7th CMAS World Championship   Wellington, New Zealand[20] 1 2 1
1994 8th CMAS World Championship   Grand Couronne, France[21] 1 1 3
1996 9th CMAS World Championship   Durban, South Africa[22] 1 2 2
1998 10th CMAS World Championship   San José, United States[23] 3 2 4 Did not participate
2000 11th CMAS World Championship   Hobart, Australia[24] 1 1 1 2
2002 12th CMAS World Championship  Calgary, Alberta, Canada[25] 1 1 5 2 Did not participate
2004 13th CMAS World Championship   Christchurch, New Zealand[26] 2 3 2 2 3 Did not participate
2006 14th CMAS World Championship   Sheffield, United Kingdom[27][28] 4 1 6 Did not participate
2007 Disputed 15th World Championship (Part of 1st CMAS Games)   Bari, Italy Did not participate
2008 Alternative 15th World Championship and 1st Junior World Championship (1st WAA World Championships)   Durban, South Africa[29][30] 4 1 5 No event Did not participate
2009 16th World Championship   Kranj, Slovenia Did not participate No event
2011 17th CMAS World Championship   Coimbra, Portugal[31][32] 1 2
2013 18th CMAS World Championship   Eger, Hungary[33] 3 4 1 1 Held Separately
2016 19th CMAS World Championship   Stellenbosch, South Africa[34] 1 6 1 1
2018 20th CMAS World Championship   Quebec City, Canada 7 6 6 2
2023 21th CMAS World Championship   Gold Coast, Australia 6 1 4 2

At the Junior World Championships

edit
Year Championship Location event Men's U-19 Women's U-19 Men's U-23/24 Women's U-23/24
2013 2nd Junior World Championship   Eger, Hungary 4 4 2 ?
2015 3rd Junior World Championship   Castellón de la Plana, Spain ? ? 2 4
2017 4th Junior World Championship   Hobart, Australia ? 2 ? ?
2019 5th Junior World Championship   Sheffield, United Kingdom Did not participate 6 Did not participate
2024 6th Junior World Championship [35]   Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 4 1 2 5

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Quilford, R. (17 December 2007). "Breath-taking fun for anyone". The Age. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  2. ^ "AUSTRALIAN UNDERWATER HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS". Underwater Hockey Australia. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  3. ^ "The History of Underwater Hockey in Australia". BBC News. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  4. ^ Australian Underwater Federation. School Snorkelling Programme; Poole, Frank, 1938- (1985), Standards and procedures handbook / compiled by Frank Poole, Australian Underwater Federation{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "SNORKELLING CURRICULUM DOCUMENTATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT PLANS". Sport Swimming And Aquatics Unit, South Australian Government Department of Education and Children's Services. February 2011. p. 10. Retrieved 15 August 2013.[dead link]
  6. ^ "UNDERWATER HOCKEY AROUND AUSTRALIA". Underwater Hockey Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  7. ^ "AUSTRALIAN UNDERWATER HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS". Underwater Hockey Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  8. ^ "Australian Spearfishing Championship results 1953-2012". Australian Underwater Federation Spearfishing Commission. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  9. ^ "AUSTRALIAN UNDERWATER HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013 – HOBART, TASMANIA". Underwater Hockey Australia. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  10. ^ "1st CMAS World Games Underwater Hockey Tournament Bari, Italy – 31st July to 4th August 2007". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  11. ^ "2nd CMAS WORLD GAMES UNDERWATER HOCKEY TOURNAMENT Kranj, Slovinia – 21st to 29th August 2009". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  12. ^ "KRANJ 16th CMAS UNDERWATER HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  13. ^ "1980 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  14. ^ "1982 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Brisbane, Australia". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  15. ^ "1984 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Chicago, United States Of America". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  16. ^ "UNDERWATER HOCKEY World titles won by Australian teams". The Canberra Times. 8 May 1984. p. 23. Retrieved 20 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "1986 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Adelaide, Australia". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  18. ^ "1988 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Amersfoort, Netherlands". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  19. ^ "1990 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Montreal, Quebec, Canada". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  20. ^ "1992 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Wellington, New Zealand". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  21. ^ "1994 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Amersfoort, Netherlands". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  22. ^ "1996 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Durban, South Africa<". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  23. ^ "1998 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – San Jose, United States Of America". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  24. ^ "2000 World Underwater Hockey Championship Finals – Hobart, Australia". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  25. ^ "2002 World Underwater Hockey Championship Final – Calgary, Alberta, Canada". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  26. ^ "2004 World Underwater Hockey Championship FINAL – Christchurch, New Zealand, 22nd to 31st March 2004". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  27. ^ "2006 – 14th World Underwater Hockey Championship Final – Sheffield, United Kingdom 15th August to 24th August 2006". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  28. ^ "2006 CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championships, Sheffield, UK (Official Website)". 2006 World Championship Committee. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  29. ^ "World Championship results". World Aquachallenge Association. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  30. ^ "2008 – 15th World Underwater Hockey Championship (sic) Durban, Natal, South Africa. 25th April – 3rd May 2008". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  31. ^ "3rd CMAS World Underwater Hockey Games (17th World Championship) Elite Teams Tournament Coimbra, Portugal, 16th to 27th August 2011". underwaterhockey-archive.com. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  32. ^ "17th Underwater Hockey World Championship". CMAS. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  33. ^ "18th CMAS UWH World Championship 2013-Eger Results". Hungarian Divers Federation. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  34. ^ "Final Results 19th CMAS Underwater Hockey World Championship. South Africa 2016". sportalsub.net. 2 April 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  35. ^ https://uwhportal.com/events/cmas-2024-cmas-6th-underwater-hockey-age-group-world-championship?table-view=placings
edit