Oleksandr Svishchov – about the Croatian coach, the principled position of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation and the plans of the national teams

The Ukrainian Water Polo Federation continues to adapt its work to the realities of wartime, focusing not only on results but also on values. This was stated by the President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation Oleksandr Svishchov, commenting on the results of the national team’s training camp in Slovakia.

During the training camp, the Ukrainian water polo players played a series of friendly matches against the Slovak national team and the Hornets club. According to Svishchov, these matches were of great importance in terms of game practice and the team’s psychological stability.

Particular attention was paid to the work of a new Croatian specialist, Nikica Gulin, who joined the training of the Ukrainian national team for the first time. The Ukrainian Water Polo Federation President emphasized that this is a coach who not only has extensive sports experience, but also personally survived the war.

Gulin voluntarily went to defend Croatia at a young age, so he understands well who Ukraine is dealing with today. This factor, according to Oleksandr Svishchov, was one of the key factors in inviting the expert.

The Federation is planning long-term cooperation: the Croatian coach is to lead the Ukrainian U20 national team and assist the national team as a consultant. His main task is to prepare for the European Championships and fight for Ukraine’s return to the elite of European water polo.

Separately, Svishchov expressed a tough stance on Russia’s possible admission to international competitions. In his opinion, the participation of the aggressor country in the competition is cynicism and devaluation of the very idea of sport.

The Ukrainian Water Polo Federation President also spoke about his expectations for the second part of the Ukrainian men’s and women’s championships, noting the increased competition and the return of the Kharkiv team to the women’s league.

According to Mr. Svishchov, the main task of the Federation is to maintain the development of water polo even in the most difficult conditions without compromising its principles.