The Croatia water polo team convincingly defeated Kazakhstan 20-4 (5-2, 6-0, 3-0, 6-2) in the first round of the FINA World League Super Final in Belgrade. The champion of the tournament secures a spot at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, reports T.potal on June 18, 2019. 

Ante Vukičević scored four goals to be the most efficient player of the Croatia national team, while Andrija Bašić scored three goals. Hrvoje Benić two, Ivan Buljubašić, Anđelo Šetka, Lovro Miloš, and Loren Fatović each scored two goals, while by Luka Lončar, Maro Joković and Andro Bušlje scored one. Besides the Croatian goalkeepers, only Ivan Krapić did not score for Croatia.

Miras Aubakirov scored twice for Kazakhstan, while Medvedev and Shmider each scored one. 

In the second meeting of Group B, Serbia and Australia will play at 21:00, while in Group A, Hungary - Canada (15:45) and Japan - Spain (19:15) will meet. All the teams will play in the quarterfinals of this tournament.

The Croatia water polo team will play their second match of the tournament on Wednesday (21:00) against the host, Serbia, while Ivica Tucak & Co. will face Australia on Thursday (15:00) in the final round of Group B.

Last year's winner, Montenegro, did not make it to the final tournament this year. Hungary, who won the silver last year, came to Belgrade with their B team as they await the main spectacle this summer - the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea. 

Serbia, the host of the tournament, has a total of 10 medals from this competition, 9 of which are gold. However, last year in Budapest, they were left without a medal. 

Spain won the bronze last year and came with their strongest squad to Belgrade. They also won the silver at the European Championship last year in Barcelona and won the bronze in Zagreb this year at the Europa Cup.

The Croatian ‘Barakudas’ won their last World League medal two years ago in Russia where they secured the bronze.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The 2017 best water polo player in the world and captain of the Croatia national team Sandro Sukno has announced that he is ending his professional career, announced HVS on May 19, 2019. 

You can read his address transmitted in its entirety below.

"Dear friends of sports,

My fellow teammates, coaches, water polo officials, and above all the fans, I feel obliged to inform the public that I had to make a challenging decision.

I decided to end my active playing career due to medical reasons. 

After my heart operation in the US at the beginning of last year, which successfully eliminated all of my troubles at that time, and the recovery that lasted for a year, in contact with several of the most prominent professionals from Croatia and abroad, and after thorough reviews and results of the check-ups, it turned out that my overall health condition is not optimal for continuing top sporting activities and that there is no 100% health security guarantee.

I decided to have surgery in Cleveland because of water polo, which has always been an integral part of my life. The same has been true during the recovery period, and I did indeed do everything I could to get more from the best and the most prominent doctors, the complete opinion and the purest picture of my health. Unfortunately, I will not be able to return to the pool with my team, but just like water polo is an integral part of me, I hope never to leave this wonderful and successful sport to which I am personally indebted.

I would especially like to thank all those who were part of my career as a player. My family, teammates, coaches, and officials. I thank the fans and the public for the love I received during my career, but also for the last couple of years. And a big thank you to the doctors who used all their strength to help me with the desired return to the pool.

I want to thank all the clubs I was a member of during my career, especially VK Jug CO, where I trained last season hoping to return.

Thanks to the Croatian Water Polo Federation for the attention, understanding, and full support I enjoyed throughout this time.

I will forever stay the biggest fan of our Croatian water polo team and Croatian sport.”

To an incredible career in water polo, we wish Sandro the best of luck! 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The Croatia water polo team won the Europa Cup in Rijeka last year, and now, they have an opportunity to defend the title against Hungary in Zagreb on Sunday.

March 10, 2019 - Mladen Drnasin’s entire life has been in water polo; he is a child of Jadran, and now, the president of the Croatian Water Polo Federation. As a member of the board of directors of Jadran, he returned the club to the European elite as they compete in the Champions League this season. Under Drnasin’s leadership, the European Water Polo Championships will also be hosted by Croatia, in Split, in 2020. 

Slobodna Dalmacija sat down with Drnasin for an interview about the Croatia national water polo team and what we can expect for the 2022 European Championships spectacle in Split.

Water polo is one of the sports where Croatia is recognized internationally, with the national team usually finding their way to a medal. What do you expect from the national team in the years ahead?

“We already set the pace long ago in 2004, with the tendency to win a medal in every major competition. It is hard to guarantee that in a sport, and sometimes luck is a crucial factor. But we are moving forward with dedicated work, reflection, and by selecting the correct strategy and good planning, have brought it into a position where the impact of luck becomes minimal. For the past ten years, we have succeeded, and I believe that we will continue with the same success.”

Do you believe in Croatia national team coach Ivica Tucak?

“Tucak is a great coach, and we have excellent players and staff. This year, the central event is surely the World Cup in South Korea in July, and next year, along with the European Championships in Budapest, the Olympic Games in Tokyo follow.

It is up to us to prepare in the Federation and create the best situation possible for our young players to get into a position to win a medal, and with that, the coach is to give the maximum.”

Specific to your mandate is certainly hosting the European Championships in Split in 2022. How many people will be involved in this project?

“As many as necessary. It's nice that we are hosting the European Championships. In addition to the support of the City of Split, the County, HOO, SDUŠ, and HTV, the support and concrete assistance of Prime Minister Plenković and the Government of the Republic of Croatia was crucial; I would like to thank all of them sincerely. Split is a city of sports, eager for great sporting events, full of former and current athletes, outstanding sportspeople. It has proved the excellent organization of significant sporting events.

We have already completed preliminary meetings with Mayor of Split Andro Krstulović-Opara, made the initial plans, met with representatives of Spaladium Arena regarding the technical possibilities. In the City of Split, we have the right partner, and we all want to organize this competition flawlessly. I'm confident we will succeed.”

Is Spaladium Arena technically too demanding to organize?

“The European Championships is demanding in itself. Certainly, it would be easier to organize this competition in an already adequate swimming pool, but the Spaladium Arena offers the ambiance, the capacity of the auditorium, the stands, and the accompanying contents within the building itself. We intend to set up two swimming pools inside the hall, one for the competition and the other for warmups, create a new floor level and stay within the capacity of 9,000-10,000 seats, set up video projections, and more.”

Do you believe that the stands will be full?

“I believe they will. The matches of our national team will certainly be well-attended, and apart from a number of foreign water polo fans who accompany their teams to such competitions, we intend, in cooperation with the Tourist Board, to promote the event to foreign tourists who will be in Split at the time and will have the opportunity to watch their national teams in the competition.”

What will remain in Split after the Euro?

“I believe that an outstandingly organized competition and the beautiful impressions of Croatia and Split will remain, and that Split will be further promoted as a destination of beauty, gastronomy, content, and hospitality.”

You can read the full interview on Slobodna Dalmacija here. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

A routine job and a victorious entry into 2019 for the Croatia water polo team, who defeated Romania in Izvorani near Bucharest on Tuesday.