The FINA Water Polo World League is an international water polo league organized by FINA, which plays annually, typically from winter through to June. League play features continental tournaments for men and women, from which the top teams emerge to play in the championship tournament where the league champion team is crowned. Men's league play began in 2002, to capitalize on increased worldwide popularity of water polo created by the 2000 Olympic Games, especially in Europe, North America and Australia. The women’s league was added in 2004, based on growing interest in women's play.
The qualification for 2004 Men's Olympic Volleyball Tournament was held from 7 September 2003 to 30 May 2004.
The water polo tournament at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom was held at the London 2012 Water Polo Arena in the Olympic Park from 29 July to 12 August. The venue's capacity held 5,000 spectators. Twelve teams competed in the men's tournament and eight teams in the women's tournament.
The 2009 FINA Men's Water Polo World League was the eighth edition of the annual event, organised by the world's governing body in aquatics, the FINA. After a preliminary round organized by continent, the Super Final was held in Podgorica, Montenegro, from 16 June to 21 June 2009.
The 2012 Men's European Water Polo Championship took place at the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swim Stadium in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, from 16 to 29 January 2012.
The 2012 Men's Water Polo Olympic Qualification Tournament was held at the Kinsman Sports Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 1 to 8 April 2012.
The 2012 FINA Women's Water Polo World League is played between February and June 2012 and open to all women's water polo national teams. After playing in groups within the same continent, eight teams qualify to play in a final tournament, called the Super Final in Changshu, China from 29 May - 3 June 2012. The two teams that reach the final of the Super Final will be the first teams to quality for the water polo tournament of the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona.
The women's qualification for Olympic basketball tournament occurred from 2010–2012; all five FIBA zones sent in teams.
The men's water polo tournament at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, organised by the FINA, was held in the Piscines Bernat Picornell in Barcelona, Spain from 23 July to 3 August 2013.
The women's water polo tournament at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, organised by the FINA, was held in the Piscines Bernat Picornell in Barcelona, Spain from 21 July to 2 August 2013.
Synchronized swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro were staged from 15 to 20 August at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center. A total of 104 athletes competed in two medal events, namely the women's duet and the women's team.
The People's Republic of China competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1952.
Japan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1912, Japanese athletes had appeared at every Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except for two editions; they were not invited to the 1948 Summer Olympics in London because of the nation's role in World War II, and were also part of the United States-led boycott, when Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Kazakhstan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era. The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan fielded a roster of 104 athletes, 55 men and 49 women, to compete across seventeen different sports at these Games, the smallest in Summer Olympic history since the nation's debut in Atlanta 1996. Moreover, Kazakhstan did not send teams in any of the collective sports for the first time in twenty years. Track and field accounted for the largest number of athletes on the Kazakh squad, with 25 entries. There was a single competitor each in slalom canoeing, track cycling, fencing, and table tennis.
The 2016 Men's Water Polo Olympic Qualification Tournament was held in Trieste, Italy, from 3 to 10 April 2016, at the Polo Natatorio "Bruno Bianchi". The top four teams advanced to the Olympics.
The 2016 Women's Water Polo Olympic Qualification Tournament was held at the Groenhovenbad in Gouda, Netherlands, from 21 to 28 March 2016. The top four teams advanced to the Olympics. The mascot of the event was an orange lion in blue clothes called Swimba.
The men's water polo tournament at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, organised by the FINA, was held in Budapest, Hungary from 17 to 29 July 2017.
The women's water polo tournament at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, organised by the FINA, was held in Budapest, Hungary from 16 to 28 July 2017.
Six teams will qualify for the Olympic baseball tournament. Japan, as the host nation, automatically qualified. Two teams will qualify through the 2019 Premier12 tournament--the best team from the Americas and the best team from Asia or Oceania. Another American team will qualify through an Americas continental tournament. One spot is reserved for a European or African team through a combined continental tournament. The final spot will be awarded in a world final qualification tournament.
