water polo

Excellent effort defeats Greece but isn’t enough for World League finals place

Waterpolo.hu – Hungary put on a superb display to beat Greece 13-10 but it is their mediterranean opponents who progress to the World League finals in China in June having denied the hosts the five-goal margin of victory they needed to become group winners.

After a disappointing first period in which Hungary fell 3-1 and then 4-2 behind, Tibor Benedek’s team roared back into contention with a 5-2 second-quarter success to lead 7-6 at half-time. The goals were coming from the usual variety of sources, two superb finishes from Balázs Hárai added to braces of goals from Márton Vámos and Dénes Varga and a howitzer of a throw from Gergő Zalánki.

The third quarter saw a predictable response from the world championship bronze-medallists but Hungary still held them 3-3 to lead 9-8 with one quarter remaining. A remarkable win seemed on the cards when they surged 12-9 ahead with more than five minutes remaining but this Greek national team is made of stern stuff, a team which kept sneaking goals to stop Hungary extending their lead to the magic five-goal margin. The final score was 13-10, not quite what Hungary were aiming for but still very encouraging ahead of the Olympic summer to come.

Photo: MTI

Hungarian girls win silver medal in Water Polo Euroliga

UVSE gave it everything in their Euroliga final on Sunday but hosts CN Sabadell were just a little bit better, as reflected in the 11-8 result which meant the Hungarian club finished runners-up.

Watched again live by Hungarian Water Polo Association President Dénes Kemény and women’s national team coach Attila Bíró, UVSE put up a great show in a tight Euroliga final against hosts CN Sabadell of Spain but just fell short in their aim of being the first Hungarian club to become champions of Europe since Szentes in 1993.

András Hertzka’s team started superbly and led Sabadell three times in the first quarter, in part thanks to two goals from Gabriella Szücs, but the Spanish club weren’t favourites for no reason and they recovered each time, even taking a two-goal advantage into the second quarter. Rita Keszthelyi pulled a goal back for Újpest but the home defence had been successful in neutralising centre Ildikó Tóth and a player advantage was also spurned as parity remained elusive.

The Spanish team pulled ahead to win the second period 2-1 and lead 7-4 at the half-time break, but thereafter it was UVSE who impressed, Tóth and Keszthelyi scoring again as the third quarter was drawn 2-2 before Edina Gangl saved a penalty and Dóra Csabai and Hanna Kisteleki scored to give UVSE a 2-1 final-period win. It wasn’t enough to avert an 11-8 defeat to their Spanish opponents but they had certainly impressed many in the water polo world during this season’s European adventure, one which has proved to be the best Hungarian club performance in this competition since Dunaújvárosi Főiskola in 2003.

Result – Euroliga final:

UVSE 8-11 CN Sabadell (3-5, 1-2, 2-2, 2-2)
Goalscorers: UVSE: Szücs 3, Kisteleki H. 2, Keszthelyi, Tóth I., Csabai; SAB: A. Espar 3, Domenech 2, Forca 2, Garcia 2, Cordobes, Pareja

Bronze-medal match:

Olympiakos Pireus (Greece) 9-10 Kinef Kirishi (Russia)
Goalscorers: OLY: Eggens 3, Eleftheriadou 2, Avramidou 2, Emmoli, Asimaki; KIR: Glyzhina 6, Simanovich 2, Soboleva 2

The Euroliga final standings:

1. CN Sabadell (SPA)
2. UVSE (HUN)
3. Kinef Kirishi (RUS)
4. Olympiakos Pireus (GRE)

Hungerit-Szentes win bronze in the women’s LEN Cup

László Tóth’s side began poorly, opponents Uralochka Zlatoust leading 14-10 in the final quarter before an amazing comeback saw Szentes draw level. Flóra Bolonyai starred in the penalty shoot-out, saving twice as Szentes went one better than last year and repeated their 2011 and 2012 bronze medal finishes.

“Let’s just not start as badly as we did against Vouliagmeni”, had been the Szentes wish in the build-up to the match, referring to them falling 6-1 behind to the Greeks in the semi-final. Hopes had been high of returning home from Mataro with a medal and Szentes were not to be disappointed. Again the start was far from ideal, the team conceding 8 goals in the first quarter thanks to some poor defending; the Szentes attack meanwhile, kept them in the hunt as Szentes finished the first quarter 4-8 down.

Szentes slowly began to assert themselves, the second quarter finishing 3-3 and the third 3-2, before a final rally in the fourth saw them draw level just when it seemed time might run out. A penalty shoot-out followed, Flóra Bolonyai saving two throws as Szentes held their nerve to triumph 4-1.

“The start? It’s difficult to dress it up, suffice to say that it was even worse than it was on Friday” admitted head coach László Tóth. “I don’t understand what happened; we were lethargic, timid, too easily turned. I’ll be honest; I wasn’t too polite in letting the girls know what I thought during the first break. Whether this had an effect or whether it was something else doesn’t matter. What is important is that everything changed. We began to play, eventually found our courage and warmed to the task. We improved slowly but surely and in the end managed to level the scores with a wonderful last quarter. I was relaxed before the penalties because I saw that Flóra was ready. It was a horrible match to watch; it would appear this is how we like to play – no one seems to care if they give me a heart attack in the process. I’m happy to have gone one better than last year’s fourth place and win a medal. We can now build upon this success as we prepare for the championship semi-finals”.

Result – Women’s Len Trophy, Final Four, Mataro:

3rd/4th place playoff:

Hungerit-Szentesi VK 14–14 Uralochka Zlatoust (Russia) (4–8, 3–3, 3–2, 4–1) – penalty shoot-out: 4–1

Goalscorers: SZEN: Kövér-Kis 6, Bujka 5, Miskolczi 3, Hevesi 2, Gémes 2; URAL: Karimova 5, Gorbunova 3, Bersneva 2, Kolmakova 2, Abdriziakova, Gerzanich, Isakova

Final:

Vouliagmeni (Greece) 5–6 CN Mataro (Spain) (3–2, 0–2, 2–1, 0–1)

Support the Hungarian girls and watch the LEN Trophy in streaming

The LEN Trophy Final Four starts today and we’re going to keep you updated through lentrophy.com. We’d also love to tell you that you’ll be able to watch the LEN Trophy online stream from anywhere.  We don’t want you to miss any detail of that exciting high-level event and that’s why m1tv, the local Mataró TV is broadcasting the four matches through lentrophy.com. (WATCH HERE)

Nearly half thousand people are going to support their teams in the sports centre El Sorrall, but thousands more will be able to follow all the matches around the world. On Friday, the first semifinal is scheduled for 6:00 pm and the second one for 7:45 pm (both at local time).

The expectations will going to be even higher on Saturday, when the final is going to be played between the Friday’s winners. The 3rd and 4th position match will be held at 7:00 pm (local time), but it’s not going to be until 8:45 pm (local time) when the big final will be played.

Four teams seeking to raise the LEN Trophy in Mataró

Only one day before the competition started the Atenea Hotel in Mataró hosted the official LEN Trophy Final press conference. The Sports councillor from Mataró as well as the captains and coaches of CN Mataró, VK Szentesi and Vouliagmeni NC talked about the quality event that is taking place this weekend.

The Sports Councillor, Josep Font, first thanked LEN for trusting in Mataró to host a competition of this level, “undoubtedly, the most important event for the city this year”. The press conference also led team leaders to explain their goals for the competition, so they put forward how they have prepared for their matches and what they expect from the trophy.

Photo: lentrophy.com © Leo Serrat
Photo: lentrophy.com © Leo Serrat

La Sirena CN Mataró: “After winning La Copa de la Reina we feel confident enough to play against any team”

The captain of La Sirena CN Mataró, Marta Bach, expressed how motivated her team is, especially after winning their first cup last weekend, La Copa de la Reina. She told that they “feel confident enough to deal with any team.” The coach Florin Bonca talked about how they “know that the four teams are very strong and have the merits to be here”. But he hopes to “put up with the nerves” so that the girls can “get into the water with a winner mentality”.

VK Szentesi: “After being in the semifinals, the only goal is to leave with the victory”

Press_Conference_LEN_5_szentesiThe assistant coach of VK Szentesi (Hungary) Eszter Győri, is optimistic and ambitious. “Last year we got to the semifinals, and this year we want to be one of the teams who reaches the final, with the aim of achieving final victory.” The captain of the team, Anita Hevesi, couldn’t hide the satisfaction of being able to compete in such a “nice city” as Mataró, and although they want to “leave with a smile on their faces”, which means: winning the cup, she also added that they’d love to enjoy the sun and the sea, as well.

Vouliagmeni NC: “The best prepared team is going to take the cup home”

Press_Conference_LEN_5_vouliagmeniThe coach Alexia Kammenou spoke for the Greek team, Vouliagmeni NC. “I think the team is well prepared to win,” and added that in a competition like this one is ir is very dangerous to label one team as a favourite”. It must be said that the Greek team is the only one that has previously won the LEN Cup, particularly during the 2002-03 season.

Photo: Eduard Omedes (www.instagram.com/eduomedes/)

Copy editor: bm

Hungary win the Olympic qualification tournament in Triest

Another accomplished Hungarian performance in the first three quarters set up Tibor Benedek’s team for a fourth period in which they held their nerve to eventually defeat Italy 10-8 and claim the Olympic qualification tournament title in Trieste today.

This final match of the Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste was played in front of a capacity crowd and they were treated to a tremendously exciting final match. Hungary benefited from a one-man advantage early on when Dénes Varga opened the scoring and after a great save from Viktor Nagy, Balázs Erdélyi extended the lead. Italy hit back quickly though, levelling the scores through Di Fulvio and Preciutti then taking a first-quarter lead through Figlioli, the same player who had scored the winning goal against Romania in the quarter-finals to ensure his team would be going to the Olympics in Rio.

Italy pressed again at the start of the second period but Nagy held firm before Dániel Varga shot from distance to equalise and Balázs Hárai put Hungary ahead. Di Fulvio evened up the scores but Márton Szivós’ goal from open play restored the lead before Aicardi again reined in Tibor Benedek’s team to make it 5-5. Hárai scored his second to wrest back the advantage and thanks again to Nagy’s goalkeeping interventions the scoreline remained 6-5 at the half-time break.

A second from Szivós and Krisztián Manhercz’s first of the day were the rewards for an impressive start to the third quarter for Hungary who now led 8-5 and although Stefano Luongo reduced the deficit, Márton Vámos’ superb strike re-established the three-goal cushion and Dénes Varga’s goal at the start of the final quarter gave Hungary an unassailable lead, despite Bodegas and Giorgetti’s late goals for Italy. Thus, the game finished 10-8 to Benedek’s men.
Result – the final of the Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste:

Itay 8-10 Hungary (3-2, 2-4, 1-3, 2-1)

Italy: Tempesti – Di Fulvio 2, Figlioli 1, Nora, Baraldi, Aicardi 2, Presciutti 1. Replacements: Luongo 1, Gitto, Giorgetti 1, Bodegas, Velotto. Head coach: Alessandro Campagna

Hungary: Nagy V. – Erdélyi 1, Vámos 1, Szivós 2, Varga Dániel 1, Varga Dénes 2, Hárai 2. Replacements: Zalánki, Bedő, Manhercz K. 1, Hosnyánszky, Decker Á. Head coach: Benedek Tibo

The Trieste tournament’s final standings:

1. Hungary
2. Italy
3. Spain
4. France
5. Netherlands
6. Canada
7. Romania
8. Greece

South Africa, Kazakhstan, Russia and Slovakia did not make it past the group stage.

Photo: MTI

Straightforward victory over France sees Hungary through to Triest final

Four goals from Krisztián Manhercz and hat-tricks from Márton Vámos Balázs Hárai were the highlights as Hungary defeated France 15-9 to secure their place in Sunday’s Olympic qualification tournament final in Trieste, after which the Olympic draw will be made, says waterpolo.hu. 

Hungary eased through to the final in Trieste with an ultimately comfortable win over France. They were 4-2 up after the first quarter thanks to goals from Hárai twice, Manhercz and Hosnyánszky. Manhercz scored a penalty early in the second period and with Dávid Bisztritsányi in fine form at the other end, the whole team was able to flourish, Vámos getting in on the act with a trademark strike and Manhercz scoring again after France’s Peisson had pulled a goal back.

Indeed, France did reduce Hungary’s lead to 7-5 and then 8-6 after Dénes Varga had scored Hungary’s eighth, but goals from Ádám Decker and Vámos again calmed any nerves and Tibor Benedek’s never looked likely to relinquish control, the final score of 15-9 fairly reflecting their dominance.

The pots for tomorrow’s Olympic draw were also revealed, Hungary being placed in pot 5.

Pot 1: Serbia and Croatia
Pot 2: Greece and Montenegro
Pot 3: USA and Ausztrália
Pot 4: The 4th placed team in Trieste and Japán
Pot 5: The 1st and 2nd placed teams in Trieste
Pot 6: The 3rd placed team in Trieste and Brazíl

Result – Men’s Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste
Semi-final

Hungary 15–9 France (4–2, 4–4, 2–1, 5–2)
Officials: Alexandrescu (Romania), Willis (South Africa)

HUNGARY: Bisztritsányi – Erdélyi, Vámos 3, Szivós, Varga Dániel 1, Varga Dénes 1, Hárai 3. Replacements: Zalánki, Manhercz K. 4, Hosnyánszky 2, Decker Á. 1, Bedő. Head coach: Benedek Tibor

FRANCE: Garsau – Saudadier 1, Kovacevic 2, Blary 1, Khasz, Simon 2, Crousillat, Izdinsky 1, Marzouki, Peisson 2, Tomasevic, Camarasa. Head coach: Florian Bruzzo

Photo: facebook.com/waterpolo.hu

 

The Hungarian national water polo team made it to the 2016 Olympic Games

Nemzetisport.hu reports that even though it was a tough game, the Hungarian team eventually won against Germany, and thus gained their qualification to the Olympic Games, held in Rio, this year. Congratulations to the team!

The 8th of April brought victory for Hungary at the Men’s Water Polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in Trieste as they beat Germany. The aim of the Hungarian team was all along to get on top of their group and qualify themselves to Rio. According to Nemzeti Sport, pre-game, their chances of beating the German team were great, though, it would have been a mistake to treat them carelessly. During the match, the Hungarians seemed to win easily, however, in the final quarter the Germans scored goals until they needed only one more to equate. But, they could not. Hungary won!

The Hungarians started off pretty well, Erdélyi scored a goal at the beginning of the match. The emphasis was on the defence, for more than ten minutes the Germans could not make any goals. Hungarians however, could, by half-time they had scored five goals, while the opponents two. In the third quarter of the match, the German goalkeeper, Kong successfully fulfilled his position, making it difficult to the Hungarians to score a goal, eventually they could manage to make two, so the scoreboard displayed 7-3 by the beginning of the last quarter.

Excitingly, after the last quarter began, the Hungarian team quickly increased their advantage by scoring five goals, which made them feel as if they had already won. But, the German team had different thoughts, they started to pull themselves together and were getting close to the Hungarians, whose offence seemed to get less effective. Only one goal was between the two teams 1.5 minutes before the end of the match, making the whole game more exciting and tense. In the end, the Hungarian team could preserve their leading position, ending the game with the score 8-7.

Head coach, Tibor Benedek said after the match, that it had probably been the most difficult time for the team, as there was a lot to lose and they did not underestimate the German team for a minute. Also, they had to live up to the expectations to win, even though, it was not easy. Furthermore, he mentioned how big the pressure was on the team to make it to the Olympics, especially because – except for two occasions – Hungary always gets to the Olympics. All in all, he said that he was very happy and their dream came true by winning.

Hungary 8-7 Germany (1-0, 4-2, 2-1, 1-4)

Hungary: Nagy V. – Vámos, Erdélyi 2, Szivós 1, Varga Dániel, Varga Dénes 3, Hárai. Replacements: Zalánki, Manhercz K. 2, Hosnyánszky, Decker Á., Bedő. Head coach: Benedek Tibor

Photo: MTI

Copy editor: bm

Hungary’s men overcome Romania as expected

Four goals from Márton Szivós helped Hungary on their way to a routine 12-8 victory against Romania, their points total now standing at five ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Russia.

Yesterday’s 14-14 draw against Canada means Hungary need to win every remaining match by as big a margins as possible in order to qualify from Group A in first place, therefore receiving a theoretically easier quarter-final draw. Tibor Benedek’s team started appropriately then, Szivós scoring while his team held a one-man advantage before Balázs Hárai celebrated his 29th birthday with a superb goal.

Romania’s Ghiban struck back but Balázs Erdély and Norbert Hosnyánszky extended Hungary’s lead to 4-1 before Tehorai complete the first-period scoring. Dénes Varga made it 5-2 from a five-metre penalty before Negrean scored twice and Romania almost equalised, Viktor Nagy coming to the rescue for Hungary. That equaliser did eventually come though via the hand of Chiveanu, but Márton Vámos’ powerful strike gave Hungary a somewhat underwhelming 6-5 lead at the half-time break.

However, the third period was a different story, Gergő Zalánki giving Hungary a two-goal cushion which was then furthered by goals from Dénes Varga, his brother Dániel, Szivós again and Krisztián Manhercz. Romania’s Gheorge replied but the 10-6 scoreline with one quarter left meant the most of the hard work had been done, a 2-2 draw in the final period featuring two more goals from the man of the match Szivós to leave the final result at 12-8. Hungary will follow up this routine victory with their next match against Russia at 17:50 tomorrow, again live on the M4 sports channel.

Result – Men’s Olympic qualification tournament, Trieste
3rd round, Group A

Hungary 12–8 Romania (4–2, 2–3, 4–1, 2–2)
Officials: Gomez (Italy), Smit (Netherlands)

HUNGARY: Nagy V. – Zalánki 1, Erdélyi 1, Szivós 4, Varga Dániel, Varga Dénes 2, Hárai 1. Replacements: Vámos 1, Manhercz K. 1, Hosnyánszky 1, Decker Á., Bedő. Head coach: Benedek Tibor

ROMANIA: Stonescu – Radu, Negrean 3, Gheorge 1, Oanta, Busila, Teohari 2, Chiveanu 1, Goanta, Szabó R., Ghiban 1, Popovicu. Head coach: Dejan Stanojevic

Press release – waterpolo.hu

Photo: MTI

The Olympic qualification tournament: From now on, it will be an even bigger battle

Having already shocked Russia with a win yesterday, Canada pulled out another surprise in the Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste by recovering several times to eventually draw 14-14 with Hungary. Here are the opinions of the two coaches on the match.

Tibor Benedek, Hungary head coach:

“I’m obviously not able to be satisfied with the concession of 14 goals, but with scoring 14 goals, yes. There weren’t big problems with our attacking, they were better during player disadvantages, therefore from those 15 advantages we had, we scored 10. There were a few things lacking in defence but overall our defence wasn’t bad. One or two missed blocks, a poor recovery swim or an unlucky goal – all of these came to pass. I think the team was strong, we knew how big the match was and that it was match we wanted to win. We were winning confidently towards the end but Canada came forward at the end and scored easy goals. Tomorrow we have a match and everything starts all over again with our aim still being the same: be the first in the group. From now on, this will be a big battle. It’s not a surprise that there are surprises in this tournament because everyone is playing for their lives, everyone wants to be the best and moreover, we play a match every day which makes the situation more difficult, but our aim has not changed!”

Giuseppe (Pino) Porzio, Canada head coach and former coach of Benedek when the Hungarian coach played under Porzio at Italian club Pro Recco:

“We played a rock-hard match. I think the Hungarian team played under pressure because on paper they are much stronger and they were expected to win. However, we played well, we were strong and we struggled unto the last second, even when Hungary led by two goals with one minute to go, and from this struggle came the result of a draw. Tibor (Benedek) was one of the best players that I coached. I loved working together with him and I understand that it is a difficult situation for them to be a big water polo power and have to fight for Olympic qualification. He is a superb coach and a superb person”.

Result – Men’s Olympic qualification tournament, Trieste
Matchday 2, Group A:

Canada 14–14 Hungary (3–4, 4–4, 4–5, 3–1)
Officials: Peila (USA), Willis (South Africa)

CANADA: Aleksic – Kubada, Vikalo 2, Constantin Bicari 4, Boyd 1, Robinson, Lapins, Graham 3, Radojcic, Conway 3, Torakis 1, McElroy. Head coach: Pino Porzio

HUNGARY: Nagy V. – Erdélyi, Vámos 2, Szivós 1, Varga Dániel 1, Varga Dénes 3, Hárai 1. Replacements: Zalánki, Manhercz K. 3, Hosnyánszky 2, Decker Á. 1, Bedő. Head coach: Tibor Benedek

Press release – waterpolo.hu

Photo: MTI

Copy editor: bm

Hungary’s 13-man squad announced for Trieste Tournament

Press release – Hungary men’s head coach Tibor Benedek has named his squad for the Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste between 3rd and 10th April.

The Hungary men’s squad will travel to Trieste on 1st April ahead of the tournament from which four nations will qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year. The European bronze medallists are in the final phase of their preparations having faced the German and Spanish national teams in training matches in the last week. Tibor Benedek announced his squad on Monday morning when it became apparent that from the original 16-man shortlist, Márton Lévai, Bence Bátori and Krisztián Bedő would be the three to stay at home.

Tibor Benedek:

“It was on the strong side where I had the biggest dilemma. With Dénes Varga already counted on, it was then between Balázs Erdélyi, Krisztián Manhercz and Bence Bátori – all of whom have produced roughly the same performances in training, while perhaps Bátori had played even better at club level. At the same time, what happens in the national team is what interests me and this is what brought about my decision. All three were at the Euros but Gergő Zalánki wasn’t. I would like to check on him and see what he can do at the top level – I am curious to see how he develops during the course of the tournament campaign, therefore he is also in the squad. At the moment this team has my trust in terms of qualification to Rio and obviously I trust these players”.

The full 13-man Hungary squad for Trieste:

Goalkeepers: Nagy Viktor (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Bisztritsányi Dávid (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda).

Outfield players: Kis Gábor, Vámos Márton, Varga Dániel, Varga Dénes (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Hárai Balázs, Zalánki Gergő, Erdélyi Balázs, Hosnyánszky Norbert, Szivós Márton (ZF-Eger), Decker Ádám (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda), Manhercz Krisztián (Contitech-Szeged-Diapolo).

 

 

The Hungarian team’s schedule in Trieste:

Sunday April 3rd, 15:10 start: France v Hungary
Monday April 4th, 16:30: Canada v Hungary
Tuesday April 5th, 13:50: Hungary v Romania
Wednesday April 6th, 17:50: Russia v Hungary
Thursday April 7th, 15:10: Hungary v Slovakia
Friday April 8th: Quarter-final
Saturday April 9th: Semi-final
Sunday April 10th: Play-off matches to decide final rankings

Photo: MTI

Benedek: It’s been a good few days

Hungary men’s coach Tibor Benedek is satisfied with his team’s three-day training camp in Würzburg which culminated in a 13-8 win over their German counterparts in an unofficial friendly match on Saturday, the press release said.

Tibor Benedek gave us these comments, following the 13-8 victory against Germany this evening:

“I am happy that we won this third training match by five goals, similar to the earlier two games. This means we were balanced until the end and weren’t deep in the game. This is the realistic difference between the two teams, but at the same time, we could have scored more of our many opportunities, so an 8,9 or 10-goal difference would have been realistic as well. The German team didn’t have too many chances but scored their goals or at least a good percentage of them, but, altogether, there was no problem with our attacking play while our defense worked well.

I am very satisfied with the outcome – every player took the match seriously, just as they took the whole tour. It has been a good three days, perfect for our preparation. The team is taking shape, the squad is taking shape, and obviously everyone will be using the coming days to fight for their place in the 13-man squad (for the Trieste tournament). From Wednesday onward we will prepare for the Spanish game at home, which will be a bigger test for us”.

The Hungary squad arrived back in Budapest on Sunday morning and will continue the preparations for the Olympic qualification tournament in Trieste next week.

The full Hungary squad:

Goalkeepers: Nagy Viktor (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Bisztritsányi Dávid (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda), Lévai Márton (Debreceni VSE)

Outfield players: Kis Gábor, Vámos Márton, Varga Dániel, Varga Dénes (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Hárai Balázs, Bedő Krisztián, Zalánki Gergő, Erdélyi Balázs, Hosnyánszky Norbert, Szivós Márton (ZF-Eger), Bátori Bence, Decker Ádám (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda), Manhercz Krisztián (Contitech-Szeged-Diapolo)

The Trieste tournament groups:

Group A: Hungary, Canada, Russia, France, Romania, Slovakia
Group B: Italy, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Netherlands

The countries already qualified for this year’s Olympic Games in men’s water polo:

Serbia (World League winners in Bergamo)
Croatia (World Cup runners-up in Kazan)
Greece (World Cup bronze medallists in Kazan)
USA (Pan-American Games winner)
Brazil (Olympic hosts)
Montenegro (from the European Championships in Belgrade)
Japan (Ásia’s best team)
Oceania’s best (likely to be Australia)

+ the semi-finalists at the Trieste tournament

The Hungarian team’s schedule at the Trieste tournament:

Sunday April 3rd, 15:10 start: France v Hungary
Monday April 4th, 16:30: Canada v Hungary
Tuesday April 5th, 13:50: Hungary v Romania
Wednesday April 6th, 17:50: Russia v Hungary
Thursday April 7th, 15:10: Hungary v Slovakia
Friday April 8th: Quarter-final
Saturday April 9th: Semi-final
Sunday April 10th: Play-off matches to decide final rankings

Press release – Hungarian Water Polo Federation

Photo: MTI

Copy editor: bm

Benedek announces Hungary men’s squad Trieste Tournament

Hungary men’s head coach Tibor Benedek has announced his 16-man squad for the Olympic Games qualification tournament in Trieste, Italy, between 3-10 April, press release from Hungarian Water Polo Federation.

The Hungary squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Nagy Viktor (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Bisztritsányi Dávid (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda), Lévai Márton (Debreceni VSE)

Outfield players: Kis Gábor, Vámos Márton, Varga Dániel, Varga Dénes (Szolnoki Dózsa-Közgép), Hárai Balázs, Bedő Krisztián, Zalánki Gergő, Erdélyi Balázs, Hosnyánszky Norbert, Szivós Márton (ZF-Eger), Bátori Bence, Decker Ádám (A-Híd-OSC-Újbuda), Manhercz Krisztián (Contitech-Szeged-Diapolo)

The Trieste tournament groups:

Group A: Hungary, Canada, Russia, France, Romania, Slovakia
Group B: Italy, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Netherlands

The countries already qualified for this year’s Olympic Games in men’s water polo:

Serbia (World League winners in Bergamo)
Croatia (World Cup runners-up in Kazan)
Greece (World Cup bronze medallists in Kazan)
USA (Pan-American Games winner)
Brasil (Olympic hosts)
Montenegro (from the European Championships in Belgrade)
Japan (Ásia’s best team)
Oceania’s best (likely to be Australia)

+ the semi-finalists at the Trieste tournament

The Hungarian team’s schedule at the Triest tournament:

Sunday April 3rd:
France v Hungary
Monday April 4th:
Canada v Hungary
Tuesday April 5th:
Hungary v Romania
Wednesday April 6th:
Russia v Hungary
Thursday April 7th:
Hungary v Slovakia
Friday April 8th:
Quarter-final
Saturday April 9th:
Semi-final
Sunday April 10th:
Play-off matches to decide final rankings

Press release – Hungarian Water Polo Federation

Photo: MTI

Wonderful! Women’s national water polo team is European Champion

The Hungarian women’s water polo national team became European Champion, because they beat the Dutch national team by two goals. It also means that the team will participate in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, nemzetisport.hu wrote.

10 years ago in 2005, the women’s national team led by Tamas Faragó won the World Championship. Now it was the first tournament of head coach Attila Bíró, so it is a huge performance that he could lead the Hungarian girls to victory.

In the first quarter, the Hungarian team could score 3 goals. Dóra Antal was the first goal scorer, and then the Dutch team took the lead after 4-4. The Hungarian team was focused and the Dutch team seemed nervous.

Overall, 13 players were sent-off and there were several counterattacks as well. In the end of the first half the Dutch led 5-4.

According to nemzetisport.hu, Barbara Bujka scored a beautiful goal, followed by Orsolya Takács, so the Hungarian team took over the lead at 6-5.

Hanna Kisteleki – who is the sister of a former world-class player – also scored two goals. Rita Keszthelyi was the top scorer with 23 goals, but she was absorbed by the Dutch defense during the match.

At the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Dutch player Maud Megens was also sent off after the other key-player Lieke Klaassen. 5 minutes before the end, the Hungarian team was leading by 8-7 with the goal of Ildikó Tóth.

Ildikó Tóth scored another goal 47 seconds before the end of the match. And that meant that Hungary became European Champion again! For the third time after 1991 and 2001, nemzetisport.hu reported.

Photos: MTI

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