Series description
Black Star Polo is the world’s only all-Black water polo team. Founded in 2021 by Prince Kofi Asante Sefa-Boakye, the Ghanaian team builds elite athletes despite minimal resources and infrastructure, and difficulty accessing swimming pools. In 2023, visa denials prevented the team from competing at an international tournament in Italy, exposing ongoing barriers for African competitors. Yet still they persist, training, competing, and redefining who is allowed to play, travel, and succeed in global sport.
The team warms up before a training session at the swimming pool at Achimota School. With limited access to facilities, these moments are essential and time in the water is scarce, hard-won and never taken for granted.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Emmanuel (9) is one of the youngest participants in the program founded by Prince Kofi Asante Sefa-Boakye. Here, he waits on the beach in Accra before an ocean training session. He attends every practice, even when access to swimming pools is limited and the sea becomes the classroom.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Aminu prepares for his morning wash at a nearby public bath. For many boys in the program, access to clean water begins here — long before training starts.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
The team trains in the Atlantic Ocean along Accra’s shoreline, which is one of the most polluted beaches in Ghana. The boys swim among plastic bags, debris and waste, adapting their bodies to water that reflects both environmental neglect and social inequality.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Aminu trains at Achimota School’s swimming pool, one of the few facilities available to the team. Pool access is limited by cost and availability, making each session rare and highly valued.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Warm-up exercises on the beach before ocean training. The shoreline also serves as a residential area for many of the players. It is an underserved community where livestock roams freely among household waste and human activity, blurring the boundaries between home, survival and sport.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Emmanuel stands in front of his family’s small shop and home. Economic responsibility often starts early, shaping how much time young athletes can dedicate to training.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Water polo goals are unloaded upon arrival at the Achimota School pool. Organising transport and equipment in Accra is a battle with traffic, cost and unpredictability. Delays of several hours are common, and training schedules rarely run as planned.
© Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards