Water polo has been played in Canada since the early 20th century, and since 1907 Canada has held a national club championship, the Goulden Cup. Until the 1960s, however, only Eastern-Canadian teams participated in the event. In 1964 the Canadian Water Polo Association was officially founded, and had as its first president Frank Medek of Montreal. That year Canada hosted its first truly national club championship, which featured teams from Vancouver, Calgary, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The tournament, held in Gravenhurst, was won by Toronto. The following year the national championships left the east for the first time and were held in Edmonton. From 1966 to 1976 Dr. John Richardson was president of the Association. During this era Richardson oversaw Canada's participation in two Olympic Games. During the 1970s and 1980s water polo in Canada grew significantly and its national team programs expanded. Today, water polo is played in all ten provinces. In 2014 Water Polo Canada founded the National Championship League, a national domestic league which features 14U, 16U, 19U, and senior categories.
The Canadian water polo senior men's club championship, the Goulden Cup, is one of Canada's oldest amateur sporting events, having been contested since 1907. Water Polo Canada also stages national club championships for senior women, junior men, junior women, 18U men, 18U women, 16U men, and 16U women.
National teams
Canada fielded its first national team in 1963. This squad, coached by Jeno Ats, participated in the 1963 Pan American Games. After Brazil dropped out, Canada was afforded a place in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Coached again by Ats, Canada placed 16th. As host, Canada participated in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Led by Dezső Lemhényi it placed its best-ever 9th. Due to the iron curtain boycott, Canada got a spot in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Coached by Gábor Csepregi, Canada finished 10th. The only Olympic games for which the Canadian men have legitimately qualified were the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Coached by Dragan Jovanović, the squad placed 11th. Canada's men's national team is based at the Olympic Pool in Montreal and is coached by Pino Porzio. Canada has fielded a women's national team since 1978. The women's squad participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, the first to hold a women's water polo competition. At this tournament Canada placed 5th. The squad also participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and placed 7th. Canada's women's national team is based at the Olympic Pool in Montreal and is coached by David Paradelo. Canada also fields junior and 18U national teams.
