Greek Patras is among the new teams participating in HaBaWaBa International Festival, starting tomorrow. We talked with the general secretary Takis Kalokairinos about his club, his players and what they expect from the experience in Lignano Sabbiadoro.
Mr. Kalokairinos, how many kids Patras will bring to HaBaWaBa?
NC Patras delegation to the 10th HaBaWaBa can be considered the largest ever in the history of our club travelling abroad. It’s consisted of 34 U11 players, the youngest is a girl born in 2011. The players will be escort by six persons: the head waterpolo coach Billy Lampatos and two coaches from the academies, Michalis Bartzelas and Aggeliki Tsista. Besides, there will be 3 more persons, among them a nurse. Furthermore in Lignano other 15 parents will travel independently.
Are they excited about that?
An image of NOP in 1950
Incredibly excited and impatiences to be there! The kids are prepared to meet and play with their foreign counterparts, aiming not directly to win but to enjoy the games, to meet new friends, to see, to learn, to experience new things.
Patras has a good tradition in waterpolo.
Patras Nautical Club (NOP-Nautikos Omilos Patron) is one of the first exclusive nautical sports clubs in Greece. Established in Patras in on April 19, 1929 by a group of successful businessmen together with ambitious young citizens educated in Europe, as its main scope was the promotion of water sports (swimming, water polo, sailing & rowing) among the youth and the Patras’ citizens in general. Patras dominated in waterpolo the 30’s and 40’s by winning 8 Greek championships. In recent decades (60’s, 70s, 80’s & 90’s), despite the emergence multi-sports clubs of Athens, Patras was continually present in all competitions in swimming and water polo: the club also reached 8 times the final of the Greek water polo cup, winning the trophy in 1995. NO Patras was the runner-up of the European LEN Trophy in 1999. Two former players born in the Club were participated with national team in the last Olympics, Chistodoulos Kolomvos (currently in Olympiakos) was in London and Rio and Filippos Karabetsos (currently in PAOK) was the main goalkeeper in London.
What age did your players start playing waterpolo?
The last five years NOP has undergone a major re-organization giving emphasis on the development of water polo (and swimming) academies, as well as, on the modernization of its operational and executorial procedures. The locomotive of this paradigm change was the leading coach Yiannis Giannouris, who during –unfortunately – his short-term working period as technical management and coach tried to implement his innovative approach (previously applied successfully in his club of origin Vouliagmeni NC). Based on his plans, NOP developed (since 2011) water polo academies designed to accommodate and train in basic polo and swimming skills-techniques boys and girls aged 6-7 years of age. The model has proven successful also for NOP and has already given remarkable results, in local and national level.
Why is important to you to come to HaBaWaBa International Festival? What do you expect from it?
The wonderful pool of NOP in Patras
We consider of upmost importance to offer to our youngsters the opportunity to participate in a unique international tournament, which in addition to the athletic aspect, envisage bringing close together hundreds of children facilitating understanding, tolerance and friendship from various backgrounds. We hope that such an experience will motivate our athletes to continue training in waterpolo and encouraging them to pursuit their future excellence in it. Beside our coaches and trainers will have the chance to see, discuss, learn and understand innovative approaches and water polo techniques and also to develop acquaintance and contacts with other colleagues for potential future exchange of training visits and invitations to tournaments?
Did the kids participate in other international competitions?
It’s the first time our kids are participating to this extent in a international tournaments mainly under eleven years of age.
What are your feelings about HaBaWaBa?
Gorgeous, joyful and curious! We are interested to participate in such an enormous common effort for promoting water polo and swimming as an easy and healthy choice for life-long sport activity. Feeling also impatience for gaining experience from various European clubs and institutions present in HaBaWaBa. We wish all the success to the 10th HaBaWaBa International Festival!
The players of Patras ready for the HaBaWaBa International Festival
