The Mayor of Dubrovnik particularly praised captain Luka Vezilić for his outstanding saves in the final against Spain and highlighted the bright future of Dubrovnik water polo following the new triumph of the young national team players.
Croatia's under-16 water polo team has written a new golden chapter by winning the world championship title at the tournament held in Zagreb. On this occasion, congratulations are pouring in from all sides, with a particularly emotional one coming from Dubrovnik, where Mayor Mato Franković publicly praised the players of VK Jug who made a significant contribution to this success.
In his address, Mayor Franković noted that this is already the second major success for the young Jug players in a short period. "A month ago, we celebrated and rejoiced in the great success of our Jug players who won the World Championship with the Croatian team in the under-18 category, and now the U16 generation has achieved the same success," Franković said.
He extended special congratulations to Roko Koncul, Petar Lončarić, and Vlaho Rajčević, saying they "made a significant contribution to this success of Croatian water polo with their performances." However, he had the most words of praise for the goalkeeper and team captain, Luka Vezilić, who celebrated his 16th birthday in a special way.
"Special congratulations to captain Luka Vezilić for his brilliant goalkeeping performance and the saves that stopped the Spanish attacks at crucial moments. Dear Luko, I believe you will remember this victory forever; you truly celebrated your 16th birthday in a special way," Franković wrote.
On their way to the final, the Croatian team defeated Georgia, Australia, Malta, the Netherlands, and Egypt in succession. In the semifinals, they edged out Serbia in a dramatic match 12:11, before completely outplaying Spain in the final with a score of 10:7.
Part of the golden glory also arrived in Rijeka, where Primorje defender Bartol Smoje was also a key piece in winning the title. "I'm really glad I brought gold to Rijeka. It's a truly nice memory," the young national team player said upon returning home. Despite the celebrations, Smoje doesn't have much time to rest as he's already back to training, and he'll soon be training with the senior team of the Rijeka club.
Mayor Franković did not hide his satisfaction with the fact that the young generations of Jug players are achieving such impressive results. "I am especially pleased when the young generations of our Jug players achieve such impressive results because we are once again confirming that the future of Dubrovnik water polo is indeed bright," he concluded in his congratulatory message, wishing the young national team players many more victories and trophies in both Jug and Croatian national team caps.
