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A Surrey club is making a big splash in the world of underwater hockey. With the World Underwater Hockey Championships only a matter of weeks away, the GB squads have been announced.  Farnham and Guildford Octopush (Underwater Hockey) Club are pleased to announce that a number of club members have been selected to represent Great Britain in almost every category of the tournament. Club chairman Gavin Callingham says: “It's great to see all the hard work they have put in to get into the world championship pay off.”

Georgina Lamble has been selected for the Ladies U19s team and Alistair Monteath and Mike Swindin have been selected for the U19 Open team.   Bec Henley has made  the Ladies Elite team, with Steph Eilerts de Haan and Suzie Browne playing in the Ladies Masters and Nick Hobson in the Open Elite squad.

Mike is under pressure to match his brother Joel’s achievement in the 2002 World Championships, when he played for the U19 Open team and won a Gold medal. The GB U19 squad also won Silver in New Zealand in 2004.

Alistair, who is half way through his A-level course at George Abbott school, Guildford, is training 3 times a week in the pool, as well as doing extra fitness training at the gym, says, “It’s great to have been selected. I am sure  we will come away with a medal.’)”

Kevin Hyman, the Junior Coach, is very pleased that so many of the club juniors have got into the squad, “I remember Alistair when he first started playing; his stated ambition has always been to play for his country – I am sure the squad will do very well.”

Octopush is a fast-growing sport that has just celebrated its 50^th birthday, after being invented in Portsmouth in 1954 by sub-aqua diver Alan Blake. The game is a fast and exciting sport that takes place at the bottom of the swimming pool, where teams of 6 players compete to manoeuvre the puck into their opponents’ goal.   Success requires fitness, timing, skill and of course, great teamwork.

The World Championships will be held at Pond's Forge pool in Sheffield from August 13^th to 26^th, more details can be found at http://www.uwhworlds2006.net/.  This year's event is likely to be the largest ever with almost 50 squads representing 17 countries.

Farnham and Guildford Octopush Club can be found at the Guildford Spectrum pool every Sunday evening. For more information about the club contact Kevin on 01252 319716 or from the website at http://dive.to/FGOC