SA Water Polo wins landmark case against Swimming SA

IN A DAVID and Goliath court battle, the emergent organisation formed with the support of hundreds of water polo players, South Africa Water Polo (Sawp), has celebrated its court victory against the governing body for aquatic sports in the country, Swimming SA (SSA).

- CHEVON BOOYSEN

However, the SSA said they would be consulting on their next steps following the court order in which the organisation sought interdictory relief against Sawp, which they claimed acted as if it had the authority to govern or administer the sport of water polo in South Africa.

Sawp registered their organisation in February this year to address “the failure of the SSA to take water polo seriously” which, according to them, has resulted in the “parlous, shambolic and neglected state in which water polo currently finds itself in South Africa”.

According to Sawp, their organisation was established as the SSA’s “focus is almost exclusively on swimming and is heavily skewed in favour of swimmers as opposed to water polo players”.