USA Water Polo Heads to DuPage County

The DuPage Sports Commission and FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park will host the USA Water Polo Kap7 Champions Cup starting November 4, as well has committing to hosting the event again in 2024 as well as the 2024 USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program National Championship.

The Kap7 Champions Cup is a three-day event with competition in two divisions, with the best youth water polo players in girls and boys divisions. Champions Cup is for athletes that are 14 years and younger, and in eight grade or under. The event is anticipated to feature approximately 24 teams and 480 athletes. In 2024, the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program will draw at least 900 18-and-under athletes in the Youth, Cadet and Development levels.

“l was born in former Yugoslavia, a region that to this day remains a powerhouse in water polo,” said Igor Bakovic, director of sports for the DuPage Sports Commission. “l have a passion for the sport and jumped at the opportunity to have it here in DuPage. The USA Water Polo programs are exceptional — USA women have won the last three Olympic gold medals and USA men are proving a formidable force with the program on the rise. We’re thrilled to help play a role in growing the next generation of talented water polo players across America with events like these.”

All events will be hosted at FMC Natatorium, which opened in 2020 and offers a nine-lane competition pool, eight-lane training pool, four locker rooms, moveable bulkheads and seating for 1,200.

“USA Water Polo is so excited to bring three premier events to DuPage County and the Midwest where there is an undeniable passion for the sport of water polo,” said USA Water Polo Chief Growth Officer Ryan Cunnane. “To be able to host the events at a facility like the FMC Natatorium is an ideal scenario. We are so appreciative of the efforts of the staff at the DuPage Sports Commission and the FMC Natatorium to help set the stage for these competitions. With a tremendous history of water polo, the state of Illinois is only primed for even greater growth of the game and these events help us accomplish two key goals — hosting exceptional events and increasing water polo opportunities nationwide.”