The Central West enjoyed its largest representation at the Water Polo NSW Under 12s Carnival in Orange over the weekend.
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Three sides from Orange and one from Dubbo joined 14 others from right across New South Wales at the two-day carnival at the Orange Aquatic Centre.
The three regional sides participated in the mixed competition, with Dubbo fighting hard against the Gunnamatta Great White Sharks in the final but ultimately going down 5-3 in the decider.
Gunnamatta's second side, the Tiger Sharks, ended the carnival in third while the Orange Water Dragons (Green) finished in fourth.
In the boys' competition, Hunter achieved a small slice of history by becoming the first regional boys side to win the main division.
They edged out Sydney Uni in the final, while UTS Balmain and Southern Highlands finished third and fourth after making the semi-finals.
Water Polo NSW events coordintor Ethan Rodgers said the thought process behind bringing the carnival to Orange was two-pronged - the aquatic centre facilities in town are exceptional, and developing teams in the region was key.
"And having (four) teams, the (three) from Orange and one from Dubbo, was great. It shows the growth in the region already," he said, 170 athletes from across NSW taking part in the carnival.
The under 12s carnival is the first official competition for a number of those players.
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