FACTBOX: Water polo at the Games
Factbox on water polo at the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics:
HISTORY
Players originally sat on floating barrels resembling horses and handled the ball with paddles similar to the mallet used in classic polo.
The London Swimming Association drew up the first rules of water polo in 1870, allowing the sinking of opponents, holding the ball underwater and scoring with the use of both hands, all of which are now banned.
Like classic polo, which was invented by British troops in the Eastern Indies, water polo was popular in the Commonwealth. Britain won six Olympic gold medals in a row, from 1900 when men's water polo first featured at the Olympic Games, to 1920.
Women's water polo, played in the Netherlands from the start of the 20th century, was included in the Olympics for the first time in Sydney in 2000.
EVENTS
12-team event for men
Eight-team event for women
OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION
A total of 260 athletes will take part.
Men's qualifiers - China, United States, Croatia, Hungary, Spain, Serbia, Australia, Greece, Canada, Italy, Germany and Montenegro
Women's qualifiers - Russia, Hungary, Greece, Italy, China, United States, Australia and Netherlands
2004 CHAMPIONS
Men: Hungary
Women: Italy
OLYMPIC PROGRAMME (FINALS ONLY)
August 21 - Women's
August 24 - Men's
VENUE
Ying Ting Natatorium
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
(Editing by Clare Fallon and Robert Woodward)
