Two-time Olympic and world champion Norbert Madaras became the president of the Hungarian Water Polo Association (MVLSZ). The organization held its extraordinary general meeting on Saturday in the Duna Arena, the only pre-planned item on the agenda of which was the election of the new president. The 42-year-old Madaras was entrusted with the leadership of the association until October 22nd, 2024 by an open vote as the only candidate, with one abstention.
Norbert Madaras won two Olympic championships as a player, he is the only two-time Hungarian water polo world champion, and four-time Champions League winner. He has also had a successful career as a sports manager, from 2018 he led the water polo department of Ferencváros, with the team he was able to enjoy the success of the European Championship in addition to the Hungarian championship titles and cup victories. For years, he worked as the vice-president of the association and the league and was a member of the recruitment committee of the MVLSZ. Norbert Madaras explained at the general meeting that he feels very motivated, and since he has been in the sport for decades, he feels that he has the kind of experience that makes him suitable for the role of president. He emphasized that he would like to change a few things, but since the switch was made during the season, these will not be radical changes. In addition to maintaining the effectiveness of water polo, he believes that the main goal is to create a long-term strategy for the association, in which they formulate where they are now and where they want to go.
He also called it important for the association to function effectively in accordance with the requirements of the 21st century, to provide the sport with a professional sports background, appropriate competition, and to develop an objective, motivating system. Finally, he also talked about how he would like water polo to catch up with other team sports in terms of viewership and popularity.
Attila Vári, the former president of the MVLSZ, announced on October 14th, on TV channel M1, that he was resigning from his position due to his other duties. In September 2018, the two-time Olympic champion as a player replaced Dénes Kemény as president of the MVLSZ. In his speech at the general meeting, the outgoing president emphasized: he is proud of the past four years, as they have achieved many successes in the field of supply, since 2018 they have organized a record number of international events, as well as handing over new facilities and renovating old ones. According to him, the economic situation of the association is stable, and its operation is ensured until 2024 even if no new income comes in until then.
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