Dutch water polo players have been nominated for European champions Spain in the draw for next Sunday’s Olympics in Tokyo next summer. The United States, the Olympic and world champion, is in the other group.

The Netherlands, ranked ninth in the world, beat Spain (third in the world), Canada (sixth in the world), Australia (seventh in the world) and debut South Africa (twentieth) in the group stage).

The other group includes the United States, Russia, China, Hungary and Japan. The top four nations from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

America will be the most favorite in Tokyo. The Americans are the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champions and the 2015, 2017 and 2019 world champions. Spain’s best team on paper in the Orange team. Southern European countries won silver at the 2019 World Cup and gold at the European Championships a year later.

Last month, Dutch water polo players qualified for the first time since the 2008 historic Olympic title. The 2018 European champion in the Olympic qualifiers in Trieste needed a place in the final. The Dutch men caught up this week next to the ticket to Tokyo.

The postponed summer games will take place from July 23 to August 8.