December 18, 2019 - Croatia water polo has received yet another impressive recognition as two team members are among the top seven in the world - Maro Jokovic and Josip Vrlic.

Croatia water polo can end 2019 on a high note thanks to its latest recognition. After Sandro Sukno took the Total Waterpolo Player title in 2017 and Andro Buslje and Luka Loncar found their place in the best lineup in 2018, Croatia again has two players in the top seven in the world.

Namely, after Total Waterpolo published all the votes of the jury and the audience (with 30 international coaches and 18 media representatives), Maro Jokovic finished fifth in the overall ranking with 49 points and found himself among the seven best in the right wing position. In the last two years, Luka Lončar has won the award for the best center forward in the world, while this year, his representative Josip Vrlić earned this honor.

"An exceptional season is behind Maro Jokovic. He has taken on a lot of responsibilities and is definitely the best left-hander in the world right now," coach Ivica Tucak told Total Waterpolo.

"It's just impossible to take on Vrlic from two-meters. It's a real pleasure to play with him," said Felipe Perrone, last year's Total Waterpolo Player Award winner, and former Barceloneta teammate.

In an exciting competition for the Total Waterpolo Player title, the highest vote was won by Hungarian Denes Varga (159) ahead of Italian Francesco Di Fulvio (151). In the women's competition, American national team goalie Ashleigh Johnson convincingly took the title.

Best Seven (Men's):

Goalkeeper - Marco Del Lungo (Italy)

Left Wing - Francesco Di Fulvio (Italy)

Left Driver - Denes Varga (Hungary)

Right Wing- Maro Joković (Croatia)

Right Driver - Filip Filipović (Serbia)

Center Back - Aleksandar Ivović (Montenegro)

Center Forward - Josip Vrlić (Croatia)

Best Seven (Women's):

Goalkeeper - Ashleigh Johnson (USA)

Left Wing - Rita Keszthelyi (Hungary)

Left Driver - Roser Tarrago (Spain)

Right Wing - Arianna Garibotti (Italy)

Right Driver - Maggie Steffens (USA)

Center Back - Hannah Buckling (Australia)

Centar Forward - Maica Garcia Godoy (Spain)

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

November 11, 2019 - Andro Buslje and Maro Jokovic are fighting for the title of Total Waterpolo Player 2019 organized by the water polo portal of the same name.

After Sandro Sukno became the first Croatian to win the Total Player title in 2017 and Luka Loncar won the title of the best center in the world for two years in a row, Croatian representatives once again have the opportunity to gain the highest individual recognition in water polo.

In choosing the best, along with the voices of the profession, the votes of the fans can be decisive. You can cast your vote for Croatia’s top water polo players on the official Total Waterpolo Player 2019 website by November 30, with the winner announcement taking place on December 16, 2019.

Interestingly, this year, there are eight Croatian representatives among the 77 jury representatives from 18 countries. In addition to men's and women's national team coaches, Ivica Tuck and Marija Caleta, votes will also be cast by coaches Zoran Bajic (HAVK Mladost), Ivan Asic (VK Jadran Split), Elvis Fatovic (Australia coach), Dean Bauer (Sport news), portal dance.hr, and Sandro Sukno (Total Player 2017), who joined Croatia’s national team staff last season after retirement. You can follow the expert jury's voices, which are published daily here.

Last year's winners include former Jug Dubrovnik player Felipe Perrone and Russian Ekaterina Prokofyeva.

About the Total Player Award:

The Total Waterpolo Player Award initiative originated from the water polo community in a bid to popularize the sport and enhance the sporting spirit among different countries. Taking into account the opinion of everyone who matters in water polo - like the fans, media, and coaches, the Total Waterpolo Player Award enables the best players to receive independent and professional recognition for their work over the past season.

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

December 18, 2018 - Total Waterpolo has chosen the best male and female water polo players in the world in 2018 - Felipe Perrone and Ekaterina Prokofyeva! Croatia's Luka Lončar also made the best team in the world for the second consecutive year.

November 26, 2018 - Josip Pavić, Xavi Garcia, Luka Lončar and Andro Bušlje will fight for the title of the best water polo player in the world this year.