We made history - the water world championship is over

On Monday, the press conference for the closing of the domestic aquatics world championship was held in the Duna Arena. Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary responsible for sports, Deputy Minister Balázs Fürjes, Sándor Wladár, president of the organizing committee and the Hungarian Swimming Association (MÚSZ), Dávid Szántó, operational director of the organizing committee of the World Cup, evaluated in the company of Hungarian swimmers who won World Cup medals.

In his speech at the closing ceremony of the Hungarian World Aquatic Championships in Hajós Alfréd National Sports Pool on Sunday, Husszein al-Musszalam, the Kuwaiti president of the International Federation of Aquatic Sports (FINA), said in his speech that the 2022 Aquatic WC, whose closing press conference was the best of all time, was it was held on Monday in the Duna Arena.

"Two wonderful, exciting weeks are behind us, and we will look back on this World Championship fondly later. Now is the time to say thank you. First of all, I would like to thank all Hungarian citizens for being with us and making this World Cup possible. It has been proven once again that if we work together, anything can be achieved. Thank you to the fans who cheered at any of the venues of the World Cup. And I thank the president and managing director of FINA for voting confidence in Hungary a few months ago.

The fact that it was announced at the closing ceremony on Sunday that this was the best World Championship of all time proves that FINA made a good decision. I would also like to thank the Hungarian government, which responded quickly and very well in the difficult situation regarding the arrangement. The last two weeks prove it. My appreciation to all sports professionals and athletes, because without their success, no world championship can be as successful. The motto of the event was "Make history" and

we really made history, as the world had never before seen a country organize a World Cup in four months,

for this, special thanks go to all members of the organizing committee and to its president, Sándor Wladár," said Ádám Schmidt, State Secretary responsible for sports, in his speech.

Deputy Minister Balázs Fürjes, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, Hungarian member of the FINA Bureau, emphasized that more than ten thousand visitors came to the World Championships in Hungary together with the athletes. All this resulted in 77,000 guest nights, which after the coronavirus epidemic was especially good for domestic tourism.

"Furthermore, more than two billion people encountered Budapest and Hungary worldwide on television channels and online media during these two weeks, and saw very beautiful pictures and recordings of the capital and the country," revealed Balázs Fürjes, who emphasized that FINA and Hungary they have maintained a good relationship with each other for a long time, which also has many advantages in sports diplomacy. Balázs Fürjes added that all the conditions were met for the organization of the WC in Hungary.

"Since all the necessary facilities for the 2017 World Cup were completed in two years, we did not have to build anything this time in order to host the event.

And only Budapest is better than Budapest, as evidenced by the fact that the president of FINA did not say after the 2019 World Cup in Gwangju that it was the best world championship of all time. However, he declared this with us in 2017 and now.

Today, few people can organize an international sports event quickly and efficiently better than us, as Budapest has become an international sports capital in recent years. Regarding water sports, the Hungarian capital is the only one in the world to host three world championships in ten years, because in 2027 we will be able to welcome the best swimmers and water polo players back home," explained Balázs Fürjes.

"I would like to thank you for being the chairman of the organizing committee of the 19th World Water Championships. It was the greatest recognition of my life and the same responsibility. This can happen once in a person's life. I became the president of the organizing committee of the Hungarian World Cup because Hungarian swimming and Hungarian water polo have brought many wonderful victories in the past more than 120 years. These results predestined us to organize this World Cup. That is why FINA thought that Hungary would be a good host for this event. It is not worth organizing any world competition in our country if there are no Hungarian athletes on the field, in the arena, in the Hajós Alfréd swimming pool and anywhere, for whom millions of Hungarians can support," said Sándor Wladár, president of the organizing committee and the Hungarian Swimming Federation (MÚSZ), who also highlighted , that the motto of the wet World Cup was "Make history" and he honestly thinks that we really made history. And he also expressed his gratitude to all the people who participated in the organization, as well as acknowledged the work of the press, which he provided during the World Cup.

"This World Cup was organized at the highest level. Sometimes we felt like we were going into this venture with our hands up, gasping for air like deep-sea divers. Even in a hypoxic state, the colleagues stood by, carried water and did whatever they could.

It was truly a superhuman performance"

- stated Sándor Wladár, who emphasized that the Hungarian Swimming Association does not have time to celebrate, because the association has many other tasks.

"The last few months have been really tough, but every moment has been worth it. However, it was the craziest undertaking in the history of sports to organize this World Cup in such a short time"

- said Dávid Szántó, the operational director of the WC organizing committee, referring to the fact that the domestic aquatics world championship had to be organized in four months.

Mandarin

Featured image: fina-budapest2022