Subscribe to our social channels to get the latest news about Hungary!
Hungarian water polo team to play host to world’s best in 2017
Change language:
2017 promises to be a busy year for Hungarian water polo. Already in January club sides will be playing European matches, the men’s and women’s OB I championships also recommence this month, in May Budapest will play host to the Champions League Final Six for the second year running, and then in the summer the World Aquatics Championships are coming.
The most prestigious event taking place this year is the FINA World Aquatics Championships, to be held in Budapest and Balatonfüred between 14th and 30th July. The water polo competition will be held at the Hajós Swimming Complex. Margitsziget will thus play host to the world’s best with men’s Olympic champions Serbia and women’s champions USA among the competitors. The water polo will take place between the 16th and 29th July with the women’s final being held on the 28th and the men’s final one day later. Both Hungary’s men and women are in with a shout of a medal, and the atmosphere promises to be electric.
The Masters World Championship follows (between 7th and 20th August), with recent greats taking to the water, whilst in late May the Champions League Final Six will take place in Budapest, not at the Hajós complex but at the brand-new Dagály Swimming Complex which will also play host to the World Championship swimming events. There may well be as many as three Hungarian sides taking part, whereas last year’s Final Six at the Hajós Complex saw Croatians Jug Dubrovnik victorious, Szolnok come third and Eger sixth.
There are still seven rounds to go in the Champions League group stage with some tough matches ahead for Szolnok, Eger and OSC. Ferencváros have made the last four of the Euro Cup and take on Montenegrins Jadran Herceg Novi in January and February and have one eye on the final which will be held on 22nd March and 5th April with Verona or Oradea providing the other finalists.
Three women’s sides are also still involved in European competition, UVSE, Dunaújváros and BVSC all playing in the Euro League qualifying round between 13th and 15th January for a place in the last eight. The winning quarterfinalists will compete in the Euro League Final Four whereas the four losers will go forward into the Euro Cup Final Four. UVSE are among the favourites but Dunaújváros and BVSC could also make it into the last eight.