POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF INTRODUCING CANOE POLO IN THE SPORT SYSTEM OF WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES

The International Canoe Federation includes 10 forms of kayaking and canoeing and recognizes 4 additional disciplines. One of the most popular is canoe polo. Canoe polo is a team sport that belongs to the family of sports games. Two teams of five players each fight to score more goals, with a water polo ball, in a pool of specific dimensions. Canoe polo developed in parallel in three similar variants of the rules, as an alternative to paddling during windy and cold winter days. Canoe polo contains the largest number of different techniques in relation to all paddling sports, while ball handling is done with a mixture of water polo, handball, basketball, and volleyball techniques. Simultaneous handling of the ball, with an overview of the game and interfering with the opponent is a very demanding coordination activity that does not exist in paddling in nature with different obstacles, both in terms of content and dynamics. Today, canoe polo is played in about 40 countries. Wild and flat water kayak and canoe disciplines have existed in the countries of the Western Balkans outside the European Union for many years, while canoe polo activities, clubs and competitions do not exist at all. The introduction of canoe polo in the sports systems of the West Balkan countries outside of European Union can be used as a means to popularize canoeing, as well as to raise the quality of canoeists by applying situational and super-situational training methods. Very demanding activities during more diverting trainings, with a greater opportunity to compete, as well as with a longer and more meaningful competition calendar, can significantly improve the skills needed for kayaking and canoeing in all its manifestations. In addition, the economic effect of development through sports facilities, infrastructure and boats with protective equipment should not be neglected, which at some point may become the basis for the organization of domestic and international competitions.