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Australia stung by change to world age group shift |
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Melbourne (March 17).- Australia is upset over a shift in the age grouping for future FINA world junior water polo championships. FINA passed a motion at an extraordinary congress at the Melbourne Town Hall this morning to lower the group from the current 20 and under to 18 and under.
Australian Water Polo Inc President Peter Kerr opposed the motion, saying that he was "extremely disappointed".
"In the long term it will have an adverse effect on water polo in Australia.
There is a concern that we could lose athletes to other sports.
They will have nothing to aspire to because the leap from 18 to the national (open) team was too great."
He said he was "utterly disappointed" that the introduction was not staged, as it would come into effect from next year.
This meant that Australian athletes training for the 2009 titles now had nothing to play for, he said.
The fear was that the void with European teams would now be greater.
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