![Canoe polo star Jethro Bates at Launceston Aquatic Centre in 2023. Pictures by Rod Thompson Canoe polo star Jethro Bates at Launceston Aquatic Centre in 2023. Pictures by Rod Thompson](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/brian.allen/81030a5b-74a8-46e7-bea1-6214f224574c.jpg/r0_477_5107_3348_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Launceston canoe polo star Jertho Bates says he's 15 kilograms stronger and ready to take on the world.
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The 18-year-old, who is part of the Tamar Canoe Club, has made Australia's under-21 men's team for the world championships in China in October.
Bates said it was canoe polo's pinnacle event given it's a not an Olympic sport.
The team was officially released this week following a three-day training camp and two-day competition in Adelaide about three weeks ago.
It was a relief for the young gun to hear his name in the eight-player under-21 A team after playing in Australia's B side in his most-recent intentional outing.
"It's good to finally make that the leap into the senior side," he said.
Canoe polo is fast, physical, skilful and resembles numerous sports like basketball, volleyball and netball.
The five-a-side game encompasses two 10-minute halves, a one-minute shot-clock and players have five seconds to get rid of the ball.
The aim is to score as many goals as you can in the opposition's net which is suspended two-metres above the water.
Bates likened his playing position to a basketball point guard and explained how he had bulked up.
![Jethro Bates. Jethro Bates.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/brian.allen/81c54f9a-c82d-482d-aa49-3ec7afa49dee.jpg/r0_0_5184_3888_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It's mainly from the gym, I put 15 kilos on in the last three months just eating and gyming," he said.
"Because I've had to step up the training to 10 to 20 hours a week. I'm in the gym every day, basically.
"I'm trying to be on the water as much as I can and I'm doing a bit of running as well."
Bates explained why it was important to get stronger.
"At an international level, I was a bit smaller and getting pushed around so I took it upon myself to put some size on," he said.
"It definitely helped me make that jump from the (B team) because I'm the youngest on the team by about two years."
It comes after he competed in his first international canoe polo competition with a club team in Northern Ireland in 2023.
The former Launceston College student then competed for Australia for the first time at the Oceania championships in New Zealand in December.
He played in Australia's under-18 side and under-21 B grade team during that event.
Bates has never been to China before and is excited to head over. He said the tournament would be played near Shanghai.
The teenager said Hobart's Jane Stephenson was also going to the world championships to compete in the open women's competition.
Bates said his ultimate goal was to achieve the rare feat of playing in two under-21 world championships before then hopefully making Australia's men's team for the event.