CMAS Underwater Hockey Newsletter Vol. 2. No. 2 | December 2025

A New Era for the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission  

'I am thrilled to announce my appointment as the CMAS Director of Underwater Hockey. Having been involved in hockey for over 50 years, being a gold medal winning player, coach, referee and team manager. I am currently the President of the Australian Underwater Federation and have a strong background in integrity and policy matters.

I bring both experience and passion to this role. With a deep commitment to the sport's growth, I look forward to introducing fresh ideas and initiatives that will strengthen our community.

I would also like to sincerely thank the outgoing committee for their dedication and hard work. Their efforts have laid a strong foundation, and I am grateful for the legacy they leave behind.

As part of this transition, the commission structure has changed to bring us into line with all the other CMAS Commissions. This alignment will ensure consistency, clarity, and stronger collaboration across the CMAS family.

Together, with the continued support of our community, we can elevate underwater hockey to new heights."

Meet the 2025–2029 CMAS UWH Commission 

Graham Henderson – Director

Graham Henderson brings decades of experience in sport leadership and governance to the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission. He has served as President of the Australian Underwater Federation for 28 years and founded the AUF Underwater Hockey Commission, serving as its President for seven years.

A five-time Underwater Hockey World Champion and Level 2 National Coach, Graham has also held senior CMAS roles, including UWH Commission Director and Development Director for the past four years. He played a key role in establishing the World Tournament Director position and remains deeply involved in CMAS governance, integrity, and development initiatives. His ongoing focus is on growing global participation and increasing federation membership within CMAS.

Tony Colquhoun – Head of Rules

Tony has been involved in underwater hockey for over 20 years, progressing from supportive parent and referee to a long-serving executive member of Underwater Hockey New Zealand. He has played key roles in delivering national tournaments and served as Treasurer and President between 2016 and 2019.

An experienced international referee, Tony has officiated at six World Championships and numerous international tournaments. Appointed CMAS Underwater Hockey Rules Director in 2022, he brings deep technical knowledge and a strong commitment to the global development of referees and tournament officials.

Don Mathews – Head of Technical Officials

Don Mathews has served as the CMAS Underwater Hockey International Referee Director since 2022. Prior to holding this role, he had years of nonprofit leadership and volunteer management experience that directly prepared him for the position. His leadership work includes guiding committees, improving governance structures, and strengthening volunteer teams across both corporate and nonprofit organizations. This experience has given him the strong, system-focused approach he now brings to international refereeing.

During his current term, Don has led several key improvements for CMAS, including:

• Implementing the CMAS Referee Code of Conduct
• Guiding the College of Referees in updating the Referee Standards
• Establishing a Referee Management System for CMAS Category A tournaments

Don is also the author of Treatise of Underwater Hockey Fouls, a resource used by UWH players and referees to better understand the fouls of the sport and the reasoning behind referee decisions. His commitment to clear instruction and consistent interpretations has strengthened referee training across federations. Through both his leadership and educational work, Don remains focused on helping underwater hockey grow by supporting the referees who make the sport safe, fair, and enjoyable.

Linda Stephen – Head of Website, Portal and Newsletter

Linda Stephen has been actively involved in underwater hockey administration since 2013, following a long professional career in the food industry as a Technical Manager, Product Developer, and Project Manager. She has managed South African Age Group teams at four World Championships and has overseen all aspects of team logistics, planning, and athlete support.

At federation level, Linda has authored and implemented extensive governance frameworks, managed sanctioned tournament structures, and led strategic communications. Appointed Secretary-General of the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission in 2023, she led commission communication initiatives, including the launch of the first CMAS UWH Newsletter, and played a central role in supporting effective international collaboration.

Patrick Kraak – Head of Events

Patrick Kraak is an experienced Dutch underwater hockey player, referee, and event organiser.  He has refereed at world championships, including Eger and Castellón, and has served as Tournament Director for Euro Clubs, successfully delivering six consecutive editions of the event.

Professionally, Patrick is an accomplished project manager with extensive experience in logistics, retail construction, and team leadership. Known for his clear, practical communication style, he brings strong organisational skills and operational insight to the commission's work.

Sebastien Dotte – Working Group Member : TOs

Sebastien Dotte has been involved in underwater hockey since the 1990s and is a long-standing member of the Pessac club in France, one of the country's largest clubs. As a player, he achieved a French 2nd Division championship in 2004 and competed in the First Division until 2012.

An international referee since 2006, Sebastien is deeply involved in referee development, serving on both the French Referees' Board and the national Rules Committee. He contributes to referee education at regional and national levels and has been active on the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission since 2020, primarily within the Referees' Panel, while also representing France at commission level.

Niels Balens – Working Group Member: Website, Portal and Newsletter

Niels Balens has been playing underwater hockey since 2002 and competing as an elite-level athlete since 2009.  His playing experience spans multiple countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Australia.

Beyond his playing career, Niels has been the coach and president of the Orca UWH club in Bilzen, Belgium, since 2005. He also serves as President of the CMAS Belgium Underwater Hockey Commission and is actively involved in organizing national competitions. His broad international playing and administrative experience brings valuable perspective to the commission.

Pam Mackor – Working Group Member: Coaching

Pam brings almost four decades of experience to underwater hockey as an elite athlete, high-performance coach, and dedicated development leader. She began playing the sport in 1985 and has represented multiple South African provinces at National Championships over more than 35 years. Her playing career includes national honours, international captaincy with the South African Elite Ladies team, and silver medals at the Masters World Championships in 2008 and 2013.

An active coach since 2013, Pam has supported athlete development from grassroots to international level. Her coaching achievements include a gold medal as Assistant Coach of the U19 Ladies at the 2015 World Championships, bronze medals in 2017 and 2019, and her current role as Head Coach of all South African Age Group teams. Appointed Deputy Director of the CMAS College of Coaches in 2024, Pam plays a key role in developing international coaching frameworks and long-term coach education initiatives.

Nicola Cargioli – Working Group Member: Development

Nicola Cargioli is both an accomplished academic and elite underwater hockey athlete. A PhD in physics, Nicola works as a postdoctoral researcher in neutrino and dark matter physics. He has been playing underwater hockey since 2012 and currently represents Sub Cagliari while captaining the Italian elite national team.

As a member of the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission, Nicola is committed to contributing analytical thinking, athlete-focused insight, and energy toward the continued improvement of the sport at international level.

Jitka Richtová - Working Group Member: Development

Jitka Richtová has been an active and dedicated member of the Czech underwater hockey community since 2008. A long-standing member of club Serrasalmus, she has served as deputy chairman since 2012 and has organized the international BUD PIG CUP since 2011.

In addition to her national roles, Jitka has represented Czech underwater hockey within the Sports Committee of the Divers Association of the Czech Republic since 2015. On the CMAS Underwater Hockey Commission, she is committed to fostering collaboration and supporting the sustainable growth of the sport worldwide.

Andrew Stillwell - Working Group Member: Events

Andrew Stillwell has been involved in underwater hockey for over 30 years, with a distinguished playing, coaching, and administrative career. As a player, he won the British national title four times with Southsea and represented Great Britain in the Elite Men's squad in 2010.

He transitioned into coaching and management roles, serving as Great Britain Under 23 Men's Coach in 2011 and 2013. From 2011 to 2021, Andrew held key national leadership positions as Competition Manager and National Squads Manager for Great Britain, contributing significantly to the coordination and delivery of domestic and international programmes.

In 2014, Andrew proposed and led Great Britain's successful bid to host the 2019 CMAS World Age Group Championships, which were delivered in Sheffield. In 2023–2024, he joined the CMAS Underwater Hockey Events Committee as Deputy Director, a role endorsed by the British Octopush Association. In 2025, he served as CMAS Technical Delegate for the Intercontinental Championship in Dordrecht, bringing extensive event and operational expertise to international competition delivery.

 Building a Fairer, More Efficient System

CMAS is introducing changes to the referee selection process to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen the overall quality of officiating at international underwater hockey tournaments. These changes are designed with National Federations in mind and aim to create a system that is fairer, more transparent, and more sustainable for the future.

Why CMAS Is Making These Changes

One of the key drivers for change is cost. While Federations will continue to pay a referee levy, earlier and centralised referee selection allows CMAS and Local Organising Committees (LOCs) to secure better airfares and plan travel more efficiently. Over time, this leads to lower overall costs and more predictable budgeting for Federations. 

Early selection also makes tournament planning significantly smoother. Knowing the referee team sooner enables the LOC and referee leadership to efficiently organise accommodation, meals, uniforms, accreditation, equipment, and staffing. This reduces last-minute pressure and improves the overall tournament experience for everyone involved.

Equally important is the quality and consistency of officiating. Selecting referees from a single global pool of qualified Level 3 referees ensures appointments are based on experience, readiness, and performance, not on whether a Federation can or cannot supply a referee. This improves balance, impartiality, and trust in referee appointments across all CMAS tournaments.

The changes also address long-standing challenges such as late Federation submissions, inconsistent referee standards, difficulties maintaining impartiality when travel is funded nationally, and the ineffective no-supply fee, which has not covered real costs nor encouraged referee development. Emerging nations, in particular, benefit from a system that removes barriers to participation when they do not yet have Level 3 referees.

What the Change Entails – And What to Expect for Age Group 2026

Under the new system, referees are selected by the CMAS Referee Committee from the global pool of eligible Level 3 referees who express interest in the tournament. Selections are made using consistent criteria, including experience, recent activity, gender balance, country representation, and overall tournament needs. For the 2026 Age Group Championships in Türkiye, this approach will be piloted with full support from the LOC, the CMAS UWH Commission, and referee leadership.

The referee pool is more than sufficient to support this model, with approximately 125 referees worldwide and 66 active Level 3 officials, supported by a strong Certified Assessor Program.

Importantly, the system also ensures development by requiring a minimum percentage of first-time Category A referees at each event. This provides valuable opportunities for newer Level 3 referees while maintaining high officiating standards.

This trial will allow CMAS to refine the process ahead of formal inclusion in the Tournament Regulations for the 2027 World Championships, ensuring a system that has been tested, improved, and implemented with confidence.