BUDAPEST – When water polo opens the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 this July, the KAP7 HydroGrip ball will take centre stage, following today’s announcement during the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Draw for the upcoming Championships.

The agreement between World Aquatics and the American manufacturer KAP7 will see the company’s water polo balls used at all international water polo matches through 2028, including at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Founded by Olympians Bradley Schumacher and Wolf Wigo, KAP7 aims to elevate the sport through innovation, quality, and accessibility. With its ethos of “Built by Water Polo Players, For Water Polo Players,” KAP7 develops custom event balls and country-specific designs, which will be sold online and at pop-up shops at upcoming World Aquatics events.

The KAP7 HydroGrip water polo ball—renowned for its proprietary grip and precision construction—will be used at all World Aquatics water polo events, including the upcoming Singapore 2025 championships and LA28 Games. Trusted by players from grassroots clubs to elite competition, the HydroGrip is designed to perform at the highest level.

World Aquatics, the international governing body for water polo and five other aquatic sports—swimming, diving, artistic swimming, open water swimming, and high diving—strives to develop all aquatics under the vision of "A world united by water, for health, life, and sport."

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam hailed the agreement, stating:

“I am incredibly excited about this partnership. Working with KAP7 brings new opportunities to World Aquatics and our water polo community. KAP7 is a youthful and dynamic company at the cutting edge of manufacturing, particularly with its water polo balls. The company’s roots are in aquatic sports, and not only will they supply World Aquatics events with balls of the highest quality, but they also share a vision that will elevate the overall sports and fan experience at our matches.”

Another key partnership component is the shared commitment to grassroots and development programmes worldwide. World Aquatics and KAP7 will collaborate on initiatives such as expanding KAP7’s Growing Ghana Project across Africa and beyond. World Aquatics sees KAP7’s efforts to increase opportunities and representation of Africans and African Americans in water polo as core to its mission of uniting the world through water.

"Becoming the Official Ball of World Aquatics is a huge moment for us, and it really shows how much athletes and coaches around the world believe in what we’re doing at KAP7,” said two-time Olympic gold medallist and KAP7 President Bradley Schumacher. “When we founded KAP7 in 2004, our mission was simple: focus entirely on water polo, build the most innovative products in the game, and support the community.  In turn, we believed the community would support KAP7, allowing us to invest in the game globally.  Partnering with World Aquatics accelerates our efforts to grow the sport.”

James Moy, World Aquatics Marketing Director, added, “With the support of long-term partners like KAP7, World Aquatics is able to stage global spectacles such as the World Aquatics Championships—and continue our efforts to grow and develop water polo around the world.”