Polo Finds Foothold in The Dominican Republic Thanks to Expat Amado Mejia

Photo Courtesy: Amado Mejia

By Michael Randazzo, Swimming World Contributor.

In the calculus of where water polo might thrive, the Dominican Republic presents contrasting arguments regarding the sport’s potential. Despite minimal infrastructure and an athletic system dominated by baseball, the Caribbean island’s temperate climate, strong foundation of aquatic sports, and history of competition—albeit brief—suggest a brighter future for polo competition in the region’s second largest country.

That, plus one man’s passion for the sport he loves.

To honor one of his country’s water polo pioneers, Amado Mejia—a Dominican expat living in the U.S.—organized an international masters tournament last January at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo. The inaugural Jose Tavares Masters Water Polo Tournament featured two American squads—Greenwich Aquatics of Connecticut and the Wetskins from Washington, DC—one from the University of Loyola in Puerto Rico and two teams from the Dominican Republic: Los Vikingos from Santo Domingo and the Santiago Knights of Santiago de Santiago.

The Puerto Rican team took gold with a 12-6 victory over Greenwich in the championship final on January 29th. The Santiago Knights beat Los Vikingo 8-6 for third place.

The tournament not only honored Tavares, who died tragically in 2007 at the age of 40, but also sought to revive a sport that select Dominicans revere.

“I love water polo, it’s in my heart,” Mejia said, then added: “somebody had to do something” to help polo flourish in his homeland.

That someone was him.

A New Yorker since 1989, Mejia maintains a strong connection to the sport of his youth. A one-time member of the New York Athletic Club’s team, he now competes for Greenwich Aquatics. He is also a referee for NCAA varsity men’s and women’s matches and at youth tournaments.

Even though he was living abroad, Mejia remained in contact with Tavares—“my best friend”—who represented Dominican water polo as a player, FINA referee and member of Federación de Natación Amateur, a local aquatics association.

“After Jose passed away, nobody cared about water polo,” Mejia said about the sport’s decline relatively soon after it’s high point in popularity. In 2003, when the Dominican Republic hosted the Pan American Games, Mejia was a member of a Dominican team competing against squads from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S.

With many former Dominican players living in Miami, California and New York, he saw an opportunity to both honor his friend and restart polo in his native country. Networking through both Dominican and American connections Mejia planned a polo tournament 1,500 miles from his adopted home.

“There’s no money to put the [Dominican] team out of the country,” he reasoned. “So why don’t we bring people to the country and play water polo?”

Photo Courtesy: Washington Wetskins

James Allen of the Washington Wetskins, who traveled to Santo Domingo with his wife, was complimentary of the competition as well as the warm welcome afforded visitors.

“The organizers, volunteers, participants and spectators could not have been more welcoming and friendly,” Allen wrote in an email. “The level of competition was high as was the level of sportsmanship. We brought a relatively strong team for our club and went 1 and 3.”

Given the balmy Caribbean weather, all games were played outdoors, a feature that Allen relished.

“The tournament venue was excellent,” he said. “I had not had a chance to compete outdoors in a long time and that was refreshing, even when it rained.”

To reciprocate for hospitality received, the Wetskins have invited a Dominican team to participate in their Annual Fall Invitational, next October in Washington, DC.

Photo Courtesy: Greenwich Aquatics

His team may have taken silver, but for Greenwich’s Ulmis Iordache, the real winner was polo in Santo Domingo.

“They had a big crowd supporting the two local teams,” he said. “Their families were there [as well as] people involved in [Dominican] water polo in the past and the present.”

Contrasting the Northeast’s sub-freezing temperatures with the Caribbean’s trademark balmy weather, Iordache added: “In New York it was 20º and when we got there it was sunny and warm. Outdoor 50 meter pool, a huge facility…. It’s a good place for water polo.”

Already there is renewed interest in fielding a Dominican team to compete internationally, including at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, to be held in Barranquilla, Colombia.

“I just took a risk,” Mejia admitted “I was scared at the beginning because I didn’t know if it would work out.”

According to Iordache, it has—all because of a Dominican who came back.

“This tournament is trying to bring water polo back to life, and Amado is key to that. He was amazing.”

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Vikki Kolbe

7 years ago

#waterpolo brutal sport