Three time Olympic Gold medalist here to train and inspire

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A media conference was held today at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies  to introduce to the media Dr.Gergely Kiss 3 time Water Polo Olympic Gold medallist who is here on a development programme to inspire and train Sri Lanka’s finest in the sport.

The Three time Olympic  and World Champion, Hungarian Water polo player has been in the island since the 6th of June for 3 week long Water polo development programmes  to be held around the country. The development program which commenced with the arrival of Dr. Kiss will see the world renowned water polo player putting down tips and tactics for players from Schools, club and national level. This program organized by the Sri Lanka Aquatics Union must be heralded and will undoubtedly help build  the standards of Sri Lankan water polo to new heights.

Mr. Akhry Ameer was the first speaker as he thanked the sponsors of Sri Lanka Water polo; Sri Lankan Airlines and Mobitel while also extending his heartfelt gratitude towards Jetwing Hotels and Turkish Airlines for their venture in this program. Mr. Ameer went on to say that the sport administered by the Sri Lanka Aquatic sports union took the initiative to brand the sport to gain popularity and introduced the’ Sri Lanka Water polo’ logo to stand on its own as an independent sporting brand and not just a sport.

After thanking the sponsors and the media present Mr. Ameer drew the attention to a video presentation of the Hungarian team’s Olympic success. It was a indeed a poignant moment for those present to witness the Olympic  Gold medal winning moments in the presences of the champion himself.

Dr. Gergely Kiss won Olympic gold medals in 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athena and 2008 Beijing. Kiss who is regarded as the best left handed player in the world won Gold at the 2003 Barcelona World Championship Games as well. Kiss proved to be a key player in the Hungarian team, especially in the finals where he scored 3 goals and brought Hungary back in to the game after trailing at the end of the 1st quarter and eventually scored the match winning goal. He was voted to the All Star Team at the conclusion of the Olympic games.

The president of the Sri Lanka Aquatic sports union Mr. Nethru Nanayakkara said “This marks a significant milestone in not only Sri Lanka water polo but also Sri Lanka sports in general as we haven’t had a 3 time Olympic gold Medalist ever” giving his thoughts on the visit of Dr. Kiss.  The president went on to thank MP Hon. Namal Rajapaksha who guided and supported this program under his aspirations to empower sports in Sri Lanka to the next level to achieve International recognition within the global sporting arena. He also wished to thank Yoshitha Rajapaksha who has untiringly helped condition the national camp physically while also extending his gratitude to the tireless work put in by the national coach Lt. Malaka Chandradasa.

Mr. Ulfath Uwais the event director of SLWP said that “it is very important for the Sri Lankan polo players to gather experience and exposure and to fine tune their games with the help of this highly experienced player”.

Three time Olympic Gold medalist Dr.Gergely Kiss posing for a photograph with his Medals

In his turn to speak he Dr. Kiss greeted the audience and thanked the organizers for his invitation both officially and on a personal note where he and his family were here touring the country. With his retirement in 2012 after the Olympics he said “ I got involved in developing the sport of water polo worldwide, I have learned from the best coaches in the world and I am happy to give back what I leant for the development of the sport”.  He also went on to say that this trip of his will boost the name of Sri Lanka in Europe with his visit here and ended by saying “I strongly believe in the South Asian region Sri Lanka can be a very strong outfit and has a good chance of winning a water polo championship tournament in years to come”.

The floor was open to the media and on a questioned posted the Hungarian athlete explained that the training schedules in Hungary are divided as; from 7 a.m. to 8 swimmers, 9 a.m. onwards dedicated for water polo going to show that the sport in Hungary is a masterfully concentrated sport and these athletes are fully engaged in the sport.  Dr. Kiss said it was something alien to him to wake up at 5 in the morning for training here in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka Water Polo contingent will no doubt benefit from this programme as the opportunity of being personally coached by a 3 time Olympic Gold medalist cannot be easily surpassed.