In just under a year, the capital’s sole water polo group has gone from being a few casual practice sessions among friends to a competitive 50-strong group with more enthusiasts joining every week. We caught up with founder Andy Babbayan and captain Michael Bush to hear about the newly christened Abu Dhabi Hammerheads.
Could you give us an explanation of the rules of water polo?
Michael: It’s basically football in a pool – two teams, offence and defence, and you’re trying to get the ball in the other team’s goal. Its fast, ferocious and a lot of fun.
And what skills do you need to be good at it?
Andy: Well you have to be able to swim! We don’t want anyone to drown. You also need good water fitness, for example being able to tread water for a long time and not run out of steam.
Michael: We’re a very mixed group – the youngest player is 16, we have middle-aged men and also three 18-year-old girls. Some have played before and are very experienced, while others are new to the sport. Everyone in the group really respects the range of abilities, so we train accordingly. There is some body contact during the game – but it tends to be the girls on the team being more violent than the boys!
What counts as a foul, then?
Michael: Playing the player and not the ball – for example if you try to sink the player who’s marking you. But the ref would almost definitely spot you and you’d have to get out of the pool for 20 seconds.
Sink them?
Michael: It’s quite easy – you just grab hold of their trunks and pull them underwater. It’s really not allowed, though!
If you’re a complete beginner, what should you expect from a session?
Michael: During the sessions, we do a lot of training in water polo techniques, such as sprint swimming and changing direction, as well as ball-handling skills. Then we do shooting drills, and re-enact game plays. I like to really push people so they’re challenged. But not so hard that they don’t have fun.
How difficult would you say the game is?
Andy: Not that difficult. As long as you’re a strong swimmer you can pick it up quickly. We had one guy start a few weeks ago who had never played but was a very strong swimmer, and he caught on straight away and was scoring goals and everything by the end. It’s very fast paced and very energetic, so you’ll get a really good workout from a session. But it’s not as difficult as, say, volleyball or handball, because the ball floats.
Tell us about the tournaments the Hammerheads are involved with.
Andy: We’re helping Dubai Camels Water Polo club in setting up a national league that will include teams from all over the UAE, plus Qatar and Saudi. We currently compete monthly in Dubai, and will be taking part in a bimonthly sea competition there, which will be starting again soon.
Lastly – is water polo as posh as everyone says?
Andy: No, it’s really not – everyone just thinks that because Prince William played it at school. Since it’s not a very high-profile sport in the UK, everyone just associates it with him. But if you asked some of the players from Australia or South Africa, they’d just laugh if you told them it was posh!
Dhs50 per session, including practice, coaching and use of equipment. For tournaments, players split the cost. Sessions are 8.10pm-10.30pm every Wednesday. Contact Andy Babbayan on 056 126 7276 or Michael Bush 056 683 5322 for more information.
