Faces of the AYWPC: Shuhei Fukaya

Officials have travelled far and wide to take part in this year’s 2025 Australian Youth Water Polo Championship (AYWPC) in Perth.

But not too many have come further than referee Shuhei Fukaya, who has made the 8,000 km journey from Japan to the WA capital. 

Shuhei has been refereeing for the better half of a decade, with the last six years as a qualified World Aquatics international water polo referee. 

This is Shuhei’s second time holding the whistle at the AYWPC, after making his Australian debut at the 2020 AYWPC in Brisbane. 

The Japanese referee is looking to use this opportunity in Perth to strengthen his skills and get more matches under his belt. 

“I’m looking forward to refereeing more water polo games,” said Shuhei. “The Japanese water polo season is coming up in June, but at the moment we don’t have many water polo games. 

“I also came here to improve my English skills and improve my communication with English speaking referees.” 

Shuhei has had a busy 12 months refereeing on the international stage, officiating his first U18s World Aquatics Junior Water Polo Championships last year in Argentina. 

While he was not the biggest fan of the 35 hour plane flight, Shuhei loved the experience of getting to referee some top-tier matches.  

“In Argentina, I got the Spain and Croatia match assigned to me,” he said. “That was such a fantastic opportunity and it was an amazing game. 

“To be honest, I do not like my chances, but I’m trying to get to this year’s World Champs in Singapore.”

Shuhei said that the scale of the AYWPC is unlike anything he has ever experienced growing up in Japan. 

“We have two junior national games back home, but they only draw around 50 teams,” he said.

“This is a huge competition.. four venues, the number of games, it is awesome.”

“It would be exciting to be able to help organise and establish a similar competition to this in Japan someday.”