Spain have arrived in China on a mission to return with four medals at next week’s International Canoe Federation Canoe Polo World Championships.
The ICF’s flagship Canoe Polo event will see Spain compete for top honours across the senior and under-21 categories in both the men’s and women’s competitions in Deqing from October 15 to 20.
Spain are the defending men’s U21 world champions following their success at the 2022 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships in Saint Omer.
They also finished runners up in the men’s event, losing to Germany in the final, and secured women’s U21 bronze.
Sonia Del Carmen Martinez Garcia, the head of Spain’s national Canoe Polo team and member of the women’s side, believes the squad has the potential to pick up medals in all four categories but insists that they must play as a team.
“You can expect everything or nothing,” Martinez Garcia told the Royal Spanish Canoe Federation.
“Let's see, we hope for all four teams to get a medal.
“In the end if you work as a team we are sure to be amongst the medals.
“If we go on to play more individually, there maybe some mistakes.
“But with what we have seen in all the competitions I think that all four teams can get a medal.”
Spain were crowned champions in both the men’s U21 and women’s U21 categories at this year’s European Canoe Association Canoe Polo European Cup in Saint-Omer.
“We want to keep our feet on the ground because the European Cups are part of the preparations to see the team you take to the World Championships and the European Championships,” said Martinez Garcia.
“What you do in the European Cup is not always what you are going to do in the European or in the World Championships.
“It is more for preparation, but yes, seeing the results, it is predicted that both teams can be in medals.”
On the performance of the women’s senior team at the European Cup, Martinez Garcia added: “We saw the mistakes we had in the European Cup.
“They were our mistakes especially as we played a little more individually than as a team, so we know that when we all play together the same thing can happen as happened last year in the European Championships, when we reached the final.
“All that has been corrected and we are much better than in the European Cup.”
Spain will also challenge for the men’s and women’s titles at the ICF Hangzhou Super Cup that takes place on October 12 and 13 before attention returns to next week’s ICF Canoe Polo World Championships.
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