The national team captain Attila Bíró considers it outrageous that an athlete cannot participate in a world competition for reasons that are false.
Late on Friday evening, the Hungarian women's water polo team will begin its performance in the World Cup super final in Long Beach with the quarter-final against the Greeks.
Federation captain Attila Bíró had to change the squad even at the last moment, because - according to the announcement of the Hungarian federation - Zsuzsanna Máté could not enter the United States.
The Ferencváros player was born in Slovakia, although he has always played with a Hungarian passport, but for the US simplified visa (ESTA) a passport corresponding to the place of birth is required. Máté had a Slovak passport made for him before the overseas trip - for the first time in his life - which was then brought to Italy, but even though he went in with the request, the Americans rejected it without reason. All this was already revealed in the Canadian part of the tour - he got the permit there easily - i.e. he had to head for Budapest instead of Long Beach, and Panna Pőcze arrived in his place.
"I find it outrageous that an athlete can't participate in a world competition for reasons that are made up," said Attila Bíró.
I wonder what would have happened if an American T-shirt player didn't get a visa for last year's Budapest festival. However, I had to call someone in, because due to the condition of the injured, it is not out of the question that I could only play twelve people in the end, and we don't want to give that much advantage in a super final."
The national team played against the Greeks on Friday at 22:00 Hungarian time, the first two places mean automatic qualification for the 2024 World Cup in Doha.
Featured image: István Mirkó/Hungarian Nation
