I’m Coming Back To The Game!

Dudo Simenc is coming back to the pools and Croatian waterpolo aged 40, as a player of Medvescak.

How did you make the decision of coming back to the play?

- The board of Medvescak called me, we had a conversation and I decided to help the seniors as much as I can to stay in the first league, and as an assistant trainer to the younger categories. In sport it is really simple when younger players have someone to learn from, then they can make progress more quickly. I have been doing light training for ten days. I swim, my hands and shot have stayed the same, only my body does not react how I would want it to, because the difference is too big between me and my colleagues, but everything will be okay. Already the goalman has started making jokes about how he defended a couple of goals from Simenc, but that is the nice, relaxed side of sport. The communication with the younger players and working with them gives me great pleasure.

After winning the championship in Malta where you played last, you announced that you are retiring?

- My game for the last 2-3 years has been prostitution, but I am proud of myself because I am still respected for my knowledge about waterpolo.

On the 17^th March the world championship starts, Rudic complained about the short preparation, how will this effect Croatia’s rank?

- Jug is the European champion, Mladost is near the very top, which means that we have quality, however in the past it has also been like that, but the thing is that a lot of things need to come together to get a good result. This team is a mix of the current best that we have, and Rudic is the best trainer in Croatia, and beyond. The group is as good as it gets for us, even though we have been known to lose from them. If we are first in the group we would not have to play the round of 16 which by some logic would bring us into the competition of the Romanians, Russians or Greeks. I think the semi finals are realistic. Serbia and Hungary are a lot stronger than the rest, and the rest could equally be third or eighth.