Donations by Perica and Luka Bukić to HŠM
Water polo players crowned the performances of the Croatian delegation at the Olympic Games in Paris, securing a silver medal after losing in the final on the closing day of the Games. Regardless of the value of the medal, which does not shine as brightly as gold, our water polo players once again proved that they are the most trophy-winning team sport in Croatia with their games, courage and fighting spirit. With the three biggest competitions in a little more than half a year, Ivica Tuck's chosen ones brought three medals, which only the highest class can do. They made the whole country proud, especially their parents.
Several of the great Barracudas of 2024 are descendants of players who were dominant in pools in their day. One of them is Perica Bukić, multiple Olympic winner and world champion, whose son Luka is brilliantly continuing the family's water polo glory.
Knowing that the Croatian Sports Museum is the central place where highlighting the greatest successes will affect future generations of athletes who may want to follow them, Perica and Luka Bukić handed over to this institution part of the props and equipment from the great water polo competitions in which they participated. The valuable collection of 20 pieces of memorabilia includes caps, shoes, shorts, balls, bags, credentials and cards that father and son Bukić collected over 40 years, from the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to the 2024 World Cup in Doha.
- The opening of the first permanent exhibition of the Croatian Sports Museum is a really great project and a great idea, and it is very important that all sports are represented, including water polo of course. We can finally get our own corner of Croatian sports that truly has something to be proud of. I will be very glad that the Museum will also have some of my son's and my equipment and documentation - said Perica Bukić when handing over the donation to the Museum's director Danira Bilić.- The biggest world competitions are the crown of every athlete's work and effort. We have devoted a large part of our lives to this and of course we are proud of all our successes and results. Personally, I was lucky enough to play in big and strong teams in as many as five finals and was a world champion and an Olympic winner twice, and an Olympic runner-up once - concluded Perica Bukić, member of the International Water Sports Hall of Fame and father of Luka Bukić, a member of the current world champions. and European and Olympic vice-champions.
The opening of the first permanent exhibition of the Croatian Sports Museum to the public is planned at the end of this year. In the space in the center of Zagreb, the historical development of Croatian sports and the greatest successes from the past 150 years until today will be shown.
