Oleksandr Svishchov on the 2026 European Championship: “We have to show character and thirst for victory”
Lviv philanthropist and President of the Water Polo Federation of Ukraine Oleksandr Svishchov assessed the teams’ chances in the qualifying matches for the 2026 European Championships and shared his thoughts on the draw.
Men’s national team: a difficult test
Oleksandr Svishchov noted that the men’s national team is in one of the most difficult groups, with France as the leader. However, he believes that Ukrainian players, including legionnaires playing abroad, will be able to show their best qualities and achieve a positive result.
“We have to show character, thirst for victory and fight for the blue and yellow flag,” the president of the Water Polo Federation of Ukraine emphasized.
Women’s national team: time for development
As for the women’s national team, Oleksandr Svishchov admitted that qualification would be difficult, but he hopes that these matches will be the beginning of growth and building a new team.
“There is a generational change in women’s water polo now, and many young players are getting their first experience playing for the national team,” he said.
Super League: an interesting struggle
Svishchov also evaluated the 4th round of the Men’s Super League, noting an interesting fight for medals and wishing the teams success in the final rounds.
Key objectives for 2025
Mr. Svishchov outlined the main tasks for 2025:
- successful performance of the men’s and women’s national teams in the qualification for the 2026 European Championship;
- defending the U-18 junior national team’s place in Group A.
“Thanks to our players, who play for leading European clubs, we have a chance to perform well. The main thing is to keep the team spirit and prepare for the qualifiers,” said Svishchov, the president of the Water Polo Federation of Ukraine.
