The nation's athletes met at the Ministry of Defense's state secretariat responsible for sports on Thursday, where they were welcomed by Ádám Schmidt, state secretary for sports, to elect a new member to replace Olympic champion shooter László Hammerl, who died on May 3. Olympic champion swimmer Sándor Wladár, president of the Hungarian Swimming Association, was nominated as the twelfth member.
Ádám Schmidt, the state secretary responsible for sports, reported after the vote that most of the nation's athletes voted in person, but some voted by phone, and the majority nominated Sándor Wladár as a new member.
„I also heartily congratulate Mr. President on his nomination! Sándor Wladár, both as an athlete and as a sports leader, can boast of results that make him worthy of the honorary title - Ádám Schmidt was quoted in the statement of the State Secretariat. In addition to working tirelessly for the success of the sport in the national and international swimming associations, he initiated the unique Swimming Nation program, thanks to which tens of thousands of children nationwide have now been able to learn to swim. ”
Sándor Wladár won the gold medal in the 200 m men's backstroke final at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Since September 2017, he has been the president of the Hungarian Swimming Association, and from November 2022 he will also hold the position of vice president of the Hungarian Olympic Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Bureau, the decision-making body of the European Aquatics and World Aquatics. On the initiative of the sports leader, the Swimming Nation program, which operates under the auspices of the Hungarian Swimming Association, was launched in 2020. Its mission is for preschool and elementary school-age children to acquire basic water safety in organized sessions within a controlled framework.
I stand with deep emotion and great respect for the decision of the legends, which was recently communicated by the state secretary Ádám Schmidt, and Pál Schmitt, on behalf of the nation's athletes, on the phone - the Hungarian federation quoted Sándor Wladár as saying. It is so incredible that this could happen, that I can now be there with them, among them. It is a very special recognition that they thought of me among so many excellences, they, the best in their sports, the pride of the country. It is an impossible mission to compare the best of different sports, so I can only think that this recognition is not only for me, but for Hungarian swimming, our 127-year history, our results, my former coaches and teammates, the memory of my deceased parents and of course my current colleagues at least as much speak. They have been supporting me for many years, we work side by side for our sport, so when I say thank you to the nation's athletes, I do it on behalf of all of them. Through them, by serving swimming and Hungarian sports, I have become more as a person - and I can only promise that I will do my work with similar humility and commitment in the future, because this current recognition has to be earned once, but after that I have to constantly prove that I am really worthy on him.
Based on the Sports Act, the nation's athletes propose the new member, who is presented to the government by the minister responsible for sports policy. A member of the board can be someone who has reached the age of 60, has achieved outstanding results as an athlete, and has played an important role in the domestic sports scene even after his career as a competitor.
The current holders of the title of Athlete of the Nation are András Balczó, Tamás Faragó, István Jónyer, Mária Weltner Györgyné Ivánkay, Jenő Kamuti, Ágnes Bíróné Keleti, Zoltán Magyar, Lajos Portisch, Ildikó Sági Györgyné Rejtő, Pál Schmitt and István Vaskuti.
MTI
Photo: MTI/Balázs Mohai
