Afghanistan Water Polo team receives formal invitation to train in the United States from USA Water Polo

Afghanistan Water Polo has been officially invited by Christopher Ramsey, CEO of USA Water Polo, to come to the United States beginning November 2011 to train with USA Water Polo member clubs and athletes. This extended invitation from the governing body of water polo in America will enable the Afghanistan National Water Polo team to experience the high--‐level of training and competition necessary to prepare AWP to compete internationally and to reach its goal of qualifying for the 2016 Olympics.

Afghanistan Water Polo has been the brainchild of Marine Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jeremy Piasecki, of allbrook California, who played and coached in Southern California and established AWP in 2008 to develop and promote sport and peace in a country where sports take a distant place to the realities of war.

The AWP team consists of 11 nationally chosen athletes, ten men and one woman, who traveled from their respective provinces around the country to try out for the National Team. These 11 members will train in the United States from November 2011 through March 2012. This inaugural US training trip will be each athlete’s first journey on an airplane and the first time they have ever left their home country.

The team depends entirely on volunteers, donations, and sponsorships to achieve its goals of travelling to compete in the United States. The team is looking for training opportunities in the Southern California area to schedule acquatic-facilities, pool time, scrimmages, and games as there are only 12 pools in all of Afghanistan, none of which are safe or suited for Olympic Training.

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