Oleksandr Svishchov, President of the Water Polo Federation of Ukraine and a well-known sports functionary, shared his vision of the 2026 European Championships among the men’s and women’s national teams, after the qualification draw, and assessed the chances of success in the qualifying matches.
Men’s national team: a challenge on the way to the Euro
Oleksandr Svishchov noted that according to the results of the draw, the men’s national team was placed in one of the most difficult groups. Ukraine’s rivals will be France, Malta and Portugal. In particular, France has recently improved its results by taking 9th place at the 2024 European Championships. Malta has already become a rival for the Ukrainian national team, and we lost in the last qualifying cycle. Portugal will also be a tough opponent, as our last two matches ended in defeat.
However, according to the president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, this is a real challenge for Ukrainian water polo players:
“I hope that our legionnaires, who play at a high level abroad, will be in good shape and help us achieve a positive result. We have to show character and fight for the blue and yellow flag with dignity, as the two best teams advance to the next stage.”
Women’s national team: youth and hope for the future
Oleksandr Svishchov also assessed the prospects of the women’s national team in the qualifiers. The Ukrainians will compete with such strong rivals as Serbia, Switzerland and Finland.
“There is a generational change in the team now, with many young players getting their first experience in the international arena,” he said.
However, according to Oleksandr Svishchov, this qualification will be the beginning of the formation of a new team that will be able to achieve high results over time.
“We are ready to create all the conditions for the quality training of our national teams, as it is important that they have the opportunity to develop at the international level,” added the President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation.
Super League: an interesting fight for medals
The 4th round of the Men’s Super League has recently ended, which turned out to be very interesting and exciting for the fans. The President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation Oleksandr Svishchov expects that the fight for medals will continue, and the last two rounds will also be intense and unpredictable.
“All the teams played well, and I hope that the final matches will be no less exciting,” summarized Alexander Svishchov.
Looking to the future
Oleksandr Yuriyovych Svishchov continues to work on the development of water polo in Ukraine, supporting sports initiatives and charitable projects. 2025 promises to be a busy year for Ukrainian water polo, and Oleksandr Svishchov, as President of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, is committed to achieving high results in international arenas.
