Oleksandr Svishchov was unanimously re-elected as the President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation. In his interview, he spoke about the challenges of the past years, priorities for the future, the renewed composition of the Presidium, and the ambitious plans of the national teams.
At the regular meeting of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, with the participation of representatives of all local branches, Oleksandr Svishchov received the full and unanimous support of the delegates. He will head the federation for a new term, continuing the work begun in June 2021, when he was first elected president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation.
Oleksandr Svishchov — priority children’s and youth sports and development
“I am sincerely grateful to all members of the Federation for their trust!” began Oleksandr Svishchov.
Oleksandr Svishchov noted that the first years of his leadership were difficult, as the war made significant adjustments.
“We managed to save all the teams, evacuate the children to safe regions, and create conditions for training and participation in competitions,” emphasized the president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation .
Oleksandr Svishchov emphasized that while previously the main task was to preserve water polo as a sport, now the focus is shifting to the active popularization and development of children’s and youth schools.
“Children are the foundation of our future , ” Svishchov emphasized.
He expressed confidence that many positive changes and victories await Ukrainian water polo ahead.
New presidium and foreign experience for national teams
The newly elected Presidium of the Federation, in addition to Oleksandr Svishchov, included:
- Mykola Smirnov,
- Oleksandr Yevtushok,
- Vyacheslav Belevtsov,
- Valery Botnar,
- Victor Pushaver
Oleksandr Svishchov described his colleagues as follows: “These are true professionals who know water polo well from the inside and are ready to work for results. Together we have formed a strong team that is not afraid of challenges and changes.”
An important step in the development of the national teams was the invitation of Croatian specialist Joško Kreković to the position of coaching consultant.
“This is a water polo legend: a silver medalist at the 1996 Olympics, an experienced player and coach. He will help the national men’s team and the U18 team. His main mission is to improve the quality of training, advise Ukrainian coaches, and introduce European standards into the training process. This is a big step forward for our sport,” said the president of the federation, Oleksandr Svishchov.
National championship results and international ambitions
Oleksandr Svishchov shared his impressions of the recent Ukrainian championships. Among men (Super League), the victory was won by the water polo players of WK “Dynamo Lviv”, silver went to the team of LFKS “Akvatiko”, and bronze — to NTU “KhPI-ShVSM”. In the women’s Higher League, the Kyiv team triumphed, second place went to “Dynamo-Amazonki” (Lviv), and third — to the team of Donetsk region.
“The competition showed: internal competition is growing, teams are fighting until the last round! Such results indicate that we are moving in the right direction,” he stated.
Speaking about the tasks of the national teams on the international stage, Svishchov Oleksandr admitted that the draw was not easy, especially for the women’s team, which will compete with Serbia, Switzerland and Finland.
“The task is to show character, implement everything that has been learned in training, and represent Ukraine worthily. The main thing is to play well and fight for every ball,” said Oleksandr Svishchov.
The men’s team, according to the president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, has an ambitious goal — to qualify for the European Championship.
“We were close to this before, so this time we are as determined as possible. The team has a strong core: experienced players, promising youth and legionnaires. We believe that the team spirit, character and inspiration that we draw from our military, who fight for our country, for freedom, will help us achieve success,” Oleksandr Svishchov concluded, thanking everyone who supports water polo in Ukraine and wishing the national teams success on the international stage.
As the head of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, Oleksandr Yuriyovich Svishchov not only directs his efforts to the development of this sport. He is also actively involved in cultural initiatives and charitable projects and initiatives that strengthen the spirit of the nation. Recently, his contribution to the development of Ukrainian sports was recognized with prestigious awards, including the “Treasure of the Nation 2024” award and awards for volunteer activities.
It is expected that 2025 will be a busy and important period for Ukrainian water polo. Svishchov himself continues to make every effort to ensure that Ukrainian water polo players demonstrate high results on the international stage and represent their country with dignity.
