Oleksandr Svishchov: Ukrainian water polo continues to fight despite the war

Ukrainian water polo continues to develop despite the war and difficult challenges. New names shine in the national teams, foreign experts share their experience, and every match turns into a fierce struggle that creates a new history of the sport. Oleksandr Svishchov, the head of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, spoke about the results of the European qualification, the first steps of Croatian coach Josko Krekovic, changes in the teams and the unbreakable Ukrainian spirit in the midst of the war.

President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation Oleksandr Svishchov on the results of the European qualification

The qualifiers for the European Men’s and Women’s Championships have recently ended. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian teams did not make it to the final stage, but the president of the federation assesses the teams’ performance positively.

Oleksandr Svishchov said: “Both of our teams had an ambitious goal to reach the final stage. The group was challenging for both women and men, but I saw the players’ character and desire to fight.”

The women’s national team is currently undergoing a renewal phase under the leadership of a new coach, Mikhail Lebedev, who is forming a young team. For many of the girls, it was their debut at such a high level.

The men’s team showed team spirit

The president of the federation especially noted the performance of the men’s national team: “In this qualifier, I saw a real fire in the guys’ eyes. In the match against Malta, the team had every chance: after a 9:9 draw in the third period, we even led 11:10, but lost 13:11.”

Svishchov especially praised the game against Portugal, where the Ukrainians “acted with dignity, fought to the last second, even despite losing their chances to advance.” He also noted the work of the coaching staff headed by Oleksiy Shvedov and the significant rejuvenation of the team.

Josko Krekovic quickly found a common language with the team

For the first time, a foreign specialist, Croatian Josko Krekovic, worked with the national team. According to Oleksandr Svishchov, it was “a very important and strategic experience.”

“Josko Krekovic thoroughly studied each player before the start of the training camp. He immediately joined the team, felt its pulse and quickly found a common language not only with the players but also with the entire coaching staff,” said the president of the federation.

Even the language barrier did not prevent successful cooperation. Soon Krekovic will start working with U18 teams, and his cooperation with Ukrainian coaches Oleksiy Shvedov and Timur Shilin should yield good results.

Looking to the future: international competition and European ambitions

Mr. Svishchov emphasized that despite the infrastructure losses and lack of pools and resources, Ukrainian water polo will not stop. He expressed his gratitude to the defenders, air defense forces, the Armed Forces and the Special Forces, thanks to whom the athletes can play, train and live.

The Ukrainian national teams will face international competitions with serious rivals. The women’s team will face Serbia, Switzerland, and Finland, while the men’s team aims to qualify for the European Championship.

“Our players have character and team spirit. We draw inspiration from our military, who are fighting for the country’s freedom,” summarized Oleksandr Svishchov, emphasizing that the national team of Ukraine has great potential for growth.