Ian Beasley was one of the key administrators working to include Canoe Polo in the World Masters Games. There were a lot of different opinions about why these games were important for our sport. (I certainly had the wrong idea- Editor)Read on to find out what sort of work goes into organising this sort of event, and find out what we can do to help make it happen next time. We thank him for taking the time to try to include Canoe Polo in the World Masters games, and for participating in the following interview.

What is your role within canoe polo in Australia?
I am a member of Victorian Canoe Polo, a committe of Canoeing Victoria. Canoeing Victoria is affliated with Australian Canoeing, both bodies representing all canoeing disciplines. As a committee member, and as a player, I contribute to general discussions and help out with running of the polo competition.

How long have you been involved with canoe polo and in what capacities?
I first started playing canoe polo 5 years ago as a novice player and now play C grade in the regular competition. I am currently joint Treasurer on the committee and was coach of the Victorian Masters team in 2002. For the past 2 years I have been chairman of the World Masters organising committee for Canoe Polo and, in 2001 I was assistant chairman for the Australian Canoe Polo Championships held in Melbourne.

Canoe Polo was invited to participate in the Melbourne 2002 World Masters Championships. How did this come about?
The World Masters organisation invited Canoeing Victoria to recommend appropriate canoeing disciplines to be included in the Games. Flatwater racing is a core sport of the International Masters Games Association (IMGA) and therefore a required sport. In addition to this, the Caneoing Victoria Sports Coordinator proposed that Canoe Polo, Marathon, Down River, and Salom be also included. Marathon was accepted, Down River and Salom could not meet the requirements, and Canoe Polo was accepted on the understanding that we could field a minimum of 18 teams from 8 countries.

How significant are the World Masters games in the International Sporting scene?
This is best answered by the World Masters organisation. But generally, the World Masters provides an important opportunity for the masters athelete to compete at an international level with an emphasis on participation and meeting the challenge rather than on elite performance. I do expect the World Masters Games to continue to grow in strength and importance as people increasingly see sport as a life long involvement providing competitive and social opportunities. Of course the economic activity generated by over 25 000 competitors and visitors is of special interest to government and business and ensures their support and involvement.

Why did you want to see canoe polo in the World Masters Games?
Canoe Polo is a skilled and exciting sport that is growing rapidly. It is suited to players of all age groups. The World Masters Games provided a great opportunity, not only for international competition, but also for promotion of Canoe Polo to the world.

How many people were involved in promoting canoe polo to the 2002 World Masters games? How long did it take to bring the idea to fruition and to promote it to the various canoeing federations?
Two people worked for 2 years to promote Canoe Polo to the World Masters organisation. Once accepted, World Masters and Canoeing Victoria promoted, coordinated, and supervised the integration of polo into the Games. At the committee level, 9 people from Victorian Canoe Polo worked for a year to promote the Games and prepare for them to meet International Canoeing Federation (ICF) guidelines.

New Zealand was the only country to register for the competition, and this lack of International response has resulted in canoe polo being dropped from the World Masters games. Did you receive any indications or explanations from other countries? Why do you think they didn't register?
Eight countries responded to our initial enquiries and showed strong interest and enthusiasm for attending the Games. Some expecting to field more than one team. People did not attend for a variety of reasons. Some players had commited to the Canoe Polo World Championships held in Germany in September 2002 which clashed with the Masters in October. Some referred to the cost of travelling to Australia or to changed work or family committements. Another consideration may be that Canoe Polo is a thriving sport in Europe with international competitions a weekly or monthly possibility, meaning a trip to Australia does not have the same lure as it may for Australian teams travelling to Europe.

You have mentioned that it is unlikely that canoe polo will be included in the next Masters games. Why is that? Where are they to be held, and when?
Having failed to attract adequate competitors to Melbourne, I would expect the World Masters organisation to be hesitant to reconsider the sport in the future. However, I am certain that World Masters consider each Games on its merits and therefore it is up to the host city to put a case for Canoe Polo. The next World Masters Games will be held at Edmonton, Canada, in July, 2005. Edmonton, Canada 2005

The lack of registration seems to suggest that the World Masters games were not significant to the International canoe polo community. In your opinion, is this attitude likely to have negative repercussions on the sport?
There was certainly strong interest from around the world to have Canoe Polo included in the World Masters. The International Canoeing Federation (ICF) gave us good support as did our Australian associations. Maybe this first attempt at including Canoe Polo as a masters sport will highlight the possibilities and raise awareness so that next time, there will be a ground swell of support and committment. No, I do not expect there to be any negative repercussions for the sport.

How can we ensure that, in the future, canoe polo is represented in Masters games? Is there anything from this experience that can be used to improve our administration or communication internationally?
Canoe Polo will only be included in the future if the host city can present a convincing case to World Masters that ENSURES that players will come. It is up to the host sports organiser to propose, and convince, the organising committee that Canoe Polo is an appropriate sport with a strong masters following. In Melbourne we relied on email and word of mouth with individuals, clubs, and associations, to develop a case and gain committement. But ultimately, it was up to the individual player to commit and to find a team. A better approach would be to ask the polo associations in each country to organise players and teams. This would provide a more controlled approach with easy follow up and consequently a better understanding of who is coming. It is the polo clubs and associations that must drive and support polo at the master's level. They have the resources, the skills, and the authority to do so. Administration went well with little reason for change. But communications leading up to the games could be improved. Rather than relying on a flow of emails to rally support and encourage participation, it would useful to establish a web site dedicated to the sport for the lead up to the games. This would provide a central, readily accessible point, for all related information, answers to questions, and general updates. Other considerations include the level of competition expected, some were not prepared to travel overseas for a low standard of competition; and the creation of a women's division, women generally preferred to play apart from the men, rather than in mixed teams. An appropriate starting point for the next games may be a questionaire circulated around the world asking reasons for not attending Melbourne, but also asking for any ideas or comments that might encourage future participation.