Greek water polo teams drawn for Olympic qualifiers

The draws for the 2020 Olympic water polo qualification tournaments were held, and Greece’s men’s and women’s national teams will be aiming to qualify for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.

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The women’s qualification tournament will be held from March 8-15 in Trieste, Italy. This means that Italy will have hosted the event three of the last four times, as they also did so in 2008 and 2012. The Greek women will be aiming to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 2008, after missing out in 2012 (despite being the reigning world champion), and in 2016 (losing on penalties to eventual bronze medalist Russia in the qualification tournament). 

Greece have been drawn into Group B with Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, and a team from Asia (TBA). In Group A will be host Italy, France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and another team from Asia (TBA). The two semifinal winners will then punch their tickets to Tokyo, after the controversial decision to include a weak South Africa team in the Olympic tournament, thus reducing the number of available qualification spots from three to just two for the women’s event. Greece, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands are expected to be the main contenders for Olympic qualification in Trieste.

The men’s qualification tournament will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from March 29-April 5. The Greek men will be aiming to extend their Olympic qualification streak to 11, having qualified for every Olympics from 1980 on.

Greece were drawn into Group A with Brazil, Canada, Georgia, Montenegro, and a team from Asia (TBA). In Group B will be the Netherlands (host), Argentina, Croatia, Germany, Russia, and another Asian team (TBA). Unlike the women’s event, the men’s tournament will see three teams qualify for the 2020 Olympic tournament via the qualification tournament in Rotterdam. This number was originally set to be four teams, but has since been reduced to three after South Africa were gifted an Olympic berth in the men’s event as well. Croatia, Greece, and Montenegro are expected to be the three teams earning Olympic qualification in Rotterdam.

WOMEN’S DRAW:

Group A: France, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, TBA Asian team

Group B: GREECE, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, TBA Asian team

MEN’S DRAW:

Group A: Brazil, Canada, Georgia, GREECE, Montenegro, TBA Asian team

Group B: Argentina, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, TBA Asian team

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