Baracudas named Team of the Year, Ivica Tucak Coach of the Year in Croatian Olympic Committee selection
“A great day for Croatian sports”. That is officially how the biggest celebration of our national Olympic organization is referred to, which, each year at this time, on HTV, presents annual awards to the best, most successful individuals, teams, formations, and coaches in our homeland. This year's ceremony, especially coinciding with the conclusion of the 2024 Olympics, was filled with reminiscences of the most magnificent moments in Croatian sports over the past year.
But, with particular pride, we can highlight that this year's "Great Day for Croatian sports" was predominantly intertwined with water polo. Nothing surprising or unexpected when we recall all that Croatian water polo has achieved, succeeded in this year.
Baracudas are the best
Therefore, the Team of the Year in Croatia for 2024 was understandably - the Croatian national water polo team. The Baracudas accomplished a feat that few in the world of this sport are likely to repeat. In the same year, at the three biggest competitions, our water polo players played in all three finals and won respectively - silver at the European Championship in Dubrovnik and Zagreb in January; then the world title at the global event in Doha in February, and silver at the Olympic Games in Paris last summer.
Tucak most successful coach
It is quite understandable then that the ‘conductor of this orchestra’, coach Ivica Tucak, received the award for Coach of the Year.
In addition to Ivica Tucak, the most successful coaches also recognized were - Nikola Bralić (rowing, Sinković brothers) and Vladimir Preradović (judo, Barbara Matić).
Greatest promoters of Croatia
Furthermore, the Croatian national water polo team received a special award established a few years ago by the Croatian Olympic Committee - “Greatest Promoter of Croatia in the World”. Indeed, no one better represented our Beautiful Homeland in the world in 2024 than our golden Baracudas.
“Matija Ljubek” Award for Paškvalin and VK Jadran
The Croatian Olympic Committee also presents the "Matija Ljubek" Award for lifetime achievement at such ceremonies. Five laureates received it, and two of them are from our sport, namely:
Tomislav Paškvalin – former center of Mladost and the national team of the former country, winner of two Olympic gold medals (Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988), a world champion title (Madrid 1986), two silvers from European Championships (Sofia 1985 and Strasbourg 1987).
Water Polo Club Jadran from Split – the oldest water polo club in Split and one of the oldest in Croatia (established in 1920), two-time European champion (1992 and 1993), winner of the COMEN Cup (1991 and 1995), and 11-time national champion, twice in Croatia. Jadran-based team won the last two Croatian Championships.
The other recipients of the "Matija Ljubek" Award are - Đurđica Bjedov Gabrilo, Andro Knego, and the Zagreb Athletic Society "Hrvatski Sokol".
It is worth mentioning the other winners:
Athlete of the Year – Miran Maričić (fencing) – bronze at the Olympics in Paris
Athlete of the Year – Barbara Matić (judo) – Olympic champion in Paris and European champion in Zagreb
Female Team of the Year – karate national team – 5th place at the European Championship in Zadar
The Croatian Water Polo Federation congratulates all the awardees, and especially all our members, with pride!
