Dear water polo players, fans and guests,
I am glad to welcome you to the European Water Polo Championships in Split, the cradle of Croatian water polo and the city to which the competition returned after more than forty years.
Croatia is a sports nation that has a long tradition of water polo and one of the best national teams in the world—our Barracudas. This is the result of the hard work of all water polo enthusiasts in Croatia who have been developing it, through recreation or professionally, for over a hundred years.
For Croatians, water polo is more than just a sport. Besides being one of our most trophy-winning sports that gives the country global recognition, water polo remains an activity that educates and inspires new generations. We have clubs of European reputation that write Croatian sports history—especially in Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Rijeka and Šibenik, as well as top water polo players such as Ratko Rudić, Milivoj Bebić, Deni Lušić, Dubravko Šimenc and Perica Bukić. Josip Pavić and Sandro Sukno were named the world’s best water polo players, and Miho Bošković the best European water polo player respectively. We are moreover proud of our young talents and we invest in their development because they guarantee Croatian water polo new top sporting successes in the future.
We are honored to host the championship that comes back to Croatia after twelve years, with the support of the Croatian Government. In addition to interesting matches, all guests coming to Split will have a rich gastronomic, tourist and cultural offer that will allow them to experience all the charms of the city of Olympic success, interesting history, cultural and natural heritage.
I wish everyone a lot of sporting success and moments to remember in the city at beneath the Marjan Hill.
Andrej Plenković
Prime Minister of Croatia
