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