Tournaments - Hungarian double at HaBaWaBa PLUS 2025: Szentes and PSN emerge victorious
Two Hungarian derbies concluded the 9th edition: Starfish defeat OSC in the U13 girls' tournament, while PSN beats Balaton in the mixed teams
If the Egyptian school is the rising star in the HaBaWaBa movement, as demonstrated last Saturday by the double victory of Sodic Sports Club in the U9 and U11 categories, the Hungarian school represents an enduring certainty: the day of the U13 finals of the HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025 turned into a stage of excellence for Hungarian water polo. In both the girls' U13 tournament and the mixed teams tournament, all-Hungarian clashes took place.
The final of the girls' U13 tournament, which featured 11 teams, was emotional and balanced, played between Szentes Starfish and OSC Girls from Budapest. The match, played point by point, ended in a draw (7-7) and was then decided in a thrilling penalty shootout. Thanks to saves from number 1 Emma Meszaros, Szentes Starfish won the gold medal, concluding the game 11-10.
The U13 mixed teams tournament had a total of 58 teams, an increase from 51 in 2024. The final brought together PSN Sharks - a club from the city of Pecsi that won the U11 title in 2019 - and Balaton VK, a club based in Balatonfuzfo. The two teams engaged in a superbly technical and competitive match, with lead changes and counterattacks in the scoreline: a goal by the Sharks with 35 seconds remaining tied the score at 6-6, sending the game to penalties. In the penalty shootout, the Pecsi team stayed cooler and emerged victorious with a total score of 9-7, securing their second HaBaWaBa title for their club.
SEMI-FINALS AND THIRD PLACE. In the morning semifinals of the girls' tournament, Starfish Szentes defeated the Swiss team RZO U13D 12-4; the OSC Girls, on the other hand, secured a spot in the final by winning 8-3 against the French team Entente 95 Filles. The match for 3rd place was won by RZO U13D, who climbed to the lowest step of the podium with a 7-3 victory over Entente 95 Filles.
In the mixed teams tournament, the semifinals ended in a narrow victory for Balaton over Vasas (7-6) and a 9-4 win for PAN Sharks against Rapallo Gialli. The match for 3rd place was won by Vasas with a 13-11 victory over the only Italian team in the top 4.
FAIR PLAY. All other teams participating in the HaBaWaBa International Festival PLUS 2025 will be honored tonight at the closing ceremony held in the square outside the Pineta building of Bella Italia & EFA Village, starting at 8:30 pm. During the closing ceremony, the teams awarded the Fair Play Trophy will also be honored. This award is given to the most fair-play teams in the two tournaments based on scores given by the juries. For this edition, the awards went to Universo Silvi - participating for the first time in the U13 girls' tournament - and Pescara Nuoto e Pallanuoto in the mixed teams tournament.
SAVE THE DATE FOR 2026. Thus concludes HaBaWaBa 2025, two weeks during which the "water ball game" gathered a total of 147 teams from 5 continents and 15 countries at Bella Italia & EFA Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro: Australia, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Palestine, Principality of Monaco, Singapore, Slovakia, United States, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary.
The event, supported by World Aquatics, European Aquatics, FIN, and CONI, and made possible by the help of sponsors such as Turbo, Compact Goals, Ossidabile, and All Risks Consulenze Assicurative, once again proved to be a huge success, a true water polo celebration capable of creating unforgettable memories for young athletes, coaches, and fans, turning water polo into a means to spread the noblest values of sport.
HaBaWaBa will return to Lignano Sabbiadoro in the summer of 2026, while the HaBaWaBa movement will continue to gather in the coming months at various stops of the HaBaWaBa International Circuit around the world, from Brazil to Egypt, from Spain to Southeast Asia.
Fabrizio Napoli
Waterpolo Development
