World championship age group 2026 : Recap of the Finals

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It was the final day of competition at the Gebze Olympic Swimming Pool in Türkiye. After seven days of action, it was finally time to discover the medallists at the Underwater Hockey Age Group World Championships. A large crowd created an electric atmosphere inside the venue. Six nations were represented across four categories and eight medal matches. It was an extraordinary day that no underwater hockey fan wanted to miss.

U19 W

The first final of the day saw Colombia face New Zealand in the women’s under-19 category. The Colombians were still unbeaten in the competition. In fact, they had won every single one of their matches and therefore entered the final as clear favorites. However, the match brought together the two best attacking teams in the category, as well as the two strongest defenses. The Kiwis, who had finished third at the previous Age Group World Championships in Malaysia, had no intention of surrendering easily. They were also looking for revenge after losing their opening round-robin match against Colombia 3–1. The final was extremely tight. New Zealand competed brilliantly, with both teams trading attacks and responding to one another throughout the match. The players committed numerous fouls on both sides, with more than ten penalty-box exclusions recorded. It was a complete underwater battle. Unsurprisingly, such a tense match went into extra time, with the suspense lasting until the very end. Colombia finally made the difference in the decisive moments, scoring the goal that secured the title. They were crowned world champions, a thoroughly deserved reward considering their performances throughout the tournament. It was Colombia’s first world title in the women’s U19 category.

In the bronze-medal match, France faced Türkiye. The French had performed well

during the round-robin stage, finishing third, but were denied a place in the final afterlosing to New Zealand in the semi-finals. They were determined to bounce back andsecure a place on the podium. Mission accomplished: France defeated Türkiye 2–0 andreturned home with the bronze medal.

U19 M

The second final of the day featured another Colombian team and the first Turkish side to qualify for a final, this time in the men’s under-19 category. This match was also fiercely contested. Colombia produced an outstanding performance, particularly from a physical perspective. Their breath-holding ability was remarkable, and their speed underwater was exceptional. Türkiye, however, possessed greater physical power and a more developed defensive system. They also had another major advantage: they were playing at home. As the host nation, Türkiye benefited from an extraordinary atmosphere, with a large crowd turning out to support the team in the final. That support clearly had an impact. Türkiye opened the scoring early and delivered an excellent defensive performance, putting Colombia under constant pressure. Los Cafeteros were not prepared to accept defeat, however. Despite playing in front of a crowd overwhelmingly against them, they found the strength to continue attacking with intensity and came close to equalizing on several occasions. They finally broke through the Turkish defense with five minutes remaining in regulation time.

In the bronze-medal match, France and New Zealand faced each other for the final place on the podium. France had shown some impressive qualities during the tournament and finished third in the round-robin standings. A semi-final defeat against Türkiye had denied them a place in the final. However, the French recovered well, regrouped mentally and secured a well-deserved bronze medal.

U24 W

Two Turkish teams were involved in finals on the last day of competition. One of them competed in the women’s under-24 category. Unfortunately for Türkiye, they had to face the dominant force in this division: New Zealand. The New Zealand women had won every match throughout the tournament. They also possessed the best attack across every team and category, scoring no fewer than 107 goals, an extraordinary achievement. Unsurprisingly, they overwhelmed their Turkish opponents in a one-sided final that became almost a non-contest. The final score was 8–0. The Turkish crowd could do little to change the outcome. The supporters initially tried to make themselves heard and encourage their team, but as the minutes passed, the goals continued to arrive. Gradually, the home crowd became quieter, allowing the smaller group of New Zealand supporters to make their voices heard. Türkiye were unable to respond and had to settle for a silver medal on home soil.

The third French team involved on the final day faced a highly motivated Colombian side in the bronze-medal match. Considering their level of ability, France had performed relatively poorly throughout the competition and finished only seventh in the round-robin standings. They were determined to end the tournament on a positive note, but Colombia had other plans. The Colombians secured a convincing 4–1 victory and claimed the bronze medal.

U24 M

The final match of the tournament, bringing these World Championships to a close, took place in the men’s under-24 category. Once again, New Zealand were involved in the final. They faced South Africa, the only African team to reach a championship match on the final day. On paper, the Kiwis were the favorites. They had the stronger attack, the better defense and had committed fewer fouls throughout the tournament. However, statistics do not decide finals, and South Africa were determined to give everything they had and spoil New Zealand’s celebrations. They had worked extremely hard to reach this stage, notably defeating tournament favorites Australia in the semi-finals. South Africa approached the match very well and came close to producing another upset. They matched New Zealand physically, although they were less effective tactically. After falling behind early, the South Africans refused to give up and managed to equalize in the second half. They began to make New Zealand doubt themselves, as the Kiwis appeared tired after seven days of competition. However, any suggestion of fatigue was quickly dismissed. With an excellent attacking move, New Zealand outmanoeuvred the South African defense and scored the decisive goal. Neither team deserved criticism after such a performance, but New Zealand were simply slightly stronger.

Australia and Colombia faced each other in the bronze-medal match. It was an extremely tense encounter, with neither team able to find the net for a long period. Both sides played with tremendous physical intensity. A fierce battle took place in midfield, and very few attacks managed to reach either goal. Australia eventually found the breakthrough, scoring the only goal of the match to secure the final place on the podium.