The proudest moment in canoe polo coach Chris de Bree’s career is not the medals or championships, but seeing players he has helped develop earn the honour of representing South Africa on the international stage.

De Bree, an East Rand Kayak (ERK) paddler, will once again be part of the national set-up at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Canoe Polo World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, from September 15 to 20, where he will serve as both coach and player.

“The proudest moment for me is seeing the talent from all around the country,” he said.

“I’ve had an active role with most of the players in the men’s teams and the junior women’s team. I coached the junior men’s team at last year’s African Championships, so it is a very proud moment to see these players coming through and representing the country.”

He added that South Africa’s participation at the world championships is the result of years of planning and development.

“It’s been a work in progress for quite a few years. Some of the guys have been with me for eight to 10 years. It’s special that I’m going to be playing in the senior team while also seeing some of my players competing in the junior team.”

To give the national sides the best possible preparation, South Africa’s three squads will arrive in Germany 10 days before the tournament for an intensive training camp.

“All three squads are flying over before the world championships begin. We’ll have a training camp at one of the local clubs and we’ve arranged for some Premier League club teams to train against,” said De Bree.

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“That will give us an opportunity to fine-tune our strategies and sharpen our game understanding before the competition starts.”

While he expects the men’s divisions to be fiercely contested, De Bree believes the junior women’s side could emerge as one of the country’s strongest medal prospects.

“The junior girls’ section is one where we have a real opportunity to compete strongly. The numbers are growing worldwide, but because players age out of the category every few years, there are always new faces coming through.

“I think our junior girls have a genuine opportunity to surprise a lot of people in the canoe polo community.”

Despite canoe polo remaining a niche sport in South Africa, De Bree said the code continues to grow through the efforts of clubs that develop young players from grassroots level.

“It is a fringe sport and not one of the mainstream sports, so our focus is on keeping each club healthy and sustainable. We have about eight to 10 clubs around the country actively playing.”

He said investing in youngsters is crucial to the sport’s future success.

“We encourage players between the ages of 13 and 15 to get involved and grow within the sport. A perfect example is that all of our current national team players started when they were still in primary school.

“That shows the importance of developing talent from a young age and creating pathways for them to reach the highest level.”

With players self-funded, Paddlesport SA has has started a back-a-buddy campaign to help the team raise R150 000 before September.

To help, go to https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/world-champs-2026-psa-canoe-polo.

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