GOALKEEPER WHO BECAME THE BEST IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR
“Thanks to the coaches at the x-bionic® aquatic sphere resort pool who put me in net, I discovered my talent,” says nearly eighteen-year-old David Szitaš, who won the title of the best goalkeeper in the world at this year’s World Aquatics Championship U18 in Argentina.
His former coaches fondly remember that David came to his first practice a year after the XBS Water Polo Club was founded, as a chubby kid whom no one would have predicted would become an elite athlete in a few years, let alone the best water polo goalkeeper in the world in his category. “He didn’t like swimming, so we suggested he go into net.” From the start, his talent was evident, and the coaches noticed. “In the first season, we didn’t achieve exceptional results, finishing 10th, but in the second year, we won the Slovak Championship in the younger pupils category with XBS Water Polo Club. We even defeated long-established water polo strongholds like Nováky, Košice, and Bratislava. David contributed significantly to our victory,” says club chairman Michal Kratochvíl. In 2022, David participated in the cadet national team’s qualification for the European Championships. By January 2023, when he was considering quitting water polo like many of his peers, he decided to try his luck in neighboring Hungary. Thanks to not giving up, this high school junior now has a promising water polo career in the water polo mecca. What were his beginnings at XBS Water Polo Club, what did he learn there, and how did he experience his first world championship?
Why water polo and not some other sport like hockey, football, or handball?
I started water polo at the age of ten. Before that, I played football, but I got bored of it, and since I don’t like running, I decided to try something in the water instead. I had been swimming since kindergarten, and I was pretty good at it. My mom found out on the internet that a water polo club was opening in Šamorín. Before that, I knew nothing about the sport, never even saw it on TV. It was something completely new. I went to try it, and I liked it.
Apparently, you ended up in goal because you didn’t like swimming!
(Laughs) That’s true. I liked water polo as a sport, but I found the swimming itself annoying. I was about twelve or thirteen when coach Miro Gogola put me in goal. I felt really good there, and as a goalkeeper, I did well from the start. After the first match, Miro Gogola told me that I had to stay in net. (Laughs) I’ve been there for six years now, and I still enjoy it.
What’s special about being a goalkeeper?
A goalkeeper has to understand the game and know when and how the players will shoot. That came naturally to me from the beginning. I would observe the field, where everyone was, and strategize about where the ball could come from.
How do you feel when you block a shot?
It feels amazing. Probably the best feeling. If I block the first shot well at the start of the game, I play much better for the rest of the match. It’s like fuel for me.
XBS Water Polo Club gave you your foundation. What did you learn there?
Thanks to the coaches putting me in net, I found what I enjoyed most about water polo and what I was best at. I discovered my talent. I learned that I can’t always trust the block but need to trust myself because I’m the goalkeeper and I protect the goal. I have to focus on myself and make the save, not rely on the player in front of me to block the shot.
How did you end up in Hungary?
After winning the Slovak Championship in the younger pupils category, I was part of the national U15, U16, and U17 teams. We played several matches abroad, and I participated in the qualification for the European Championships, but we didn’t make it. Many of my teammates quit water polo after that. They left; they weren’t enjoying it anymore. It got to the point where there were only six or seven of us at training. You can’t train or play in a league like that. My current roommate, David Szliva, a center defender, wanted to join a foreign club. His father knew a coach at the Hungarian club OSC Budapest, where we both currently play. He contacted my parents to see if I would go with David. After tryouts, we were both accepted into the team, and we’ve been here for a year and a half.
How did that year and a half in Hungary go for you?
We joined the Hungarian club in the middle of the season, so we spent the rest of it getting to know our teammates, our opponents, and adapting to completely different training conditions. In Hungary, water polo is trained and played entirely differently than in Slovakia. At first, I was sick almost every month; the training was so tough. It took me a while to adjust. In the second season, I did much better. Halfway through, I was promoted to the men’s team because their second goalkeeper suffered an injury that sidelined him for the entire season. I’ve been officially playing with the men’s team this third season.
Is there a difference in water polo conditions between Hungary and Slovakia?
At the start of the season, eighteen teams play against each other. Eight of them are in Budapest alone. Every team is good and has the potential to win; there aren’t such big differences in quality between teams like in Slovakia. The matches are more balanced, and the competition is fierce.
And what about the training?
In Hungary, they focus much more on swimming in training, so there’s a lot more of it here. I had to get used to it. (Laughs) I also think the coaches here are stricter. During a one-and-a-half-hour training session, we have to focus solely on training and nothing else. It’s not acceptable for players to just ‘float’ around with their thoughts elsewhere.
What was your journey to this year’s U18 World Championships in Buenos Aires?
Up until the last moment, it wasn’t clear if I would actually go. My Hungarian citizenship was being processed just before the World Championships, and I received it less than two weeks before departure. It was a close call. But it worked out.
How do you remember the championships? It was your debut…
We arrived in Argentina four days before the start to adjust to the time difference. We had just finished six intense weeks of preparation, where all our training focused on the championships. During those two weeks, we didn’t see much of the country; we concentrated solely on training and matches. Every morning, we had an hour of training, doing some swimming and shooting practice. Each evening, we had a match. In between, we stayed at the hotel watching opponents’ tactics to learn who shoots when and how, and what to expect.
As a goalkeeper, you have to be a bit of a psychologist, reading the game and the opponent…
Yes, and I enjoy reading people. Based on video or the pre-game lineup, I assess whom I need to watch out for, who can shoot at any moment, and who I can safely let shoot because they’re not dangerous. That’s pretty much the core of my work in the water: reading opponents quickly, predicting their actions. Player behavior in the water is predictable. I can observe how a player behaves in certain situations and anticipate what they will do in my match.
Did anything surprise you in the water during the championships?
At the World Championships, 20 of the best teams competed in 5 groups. Every opponent was really good, and the matches were close. Participating in the World Championships taught me a lot. After arriving in Hungary, I learned how the Hungarians play, and at the World Championships, I learned about other teams, like how the Serbs or Greeks play. Playing against teams like Serbia was completely different from playing with Hungarians or Slovaks. They play water polo in a totally different way. I didn’t know anything about them beforehand—not their mentality, style of play, tactics, or behavior.
Which team was the toughest to face?
The Greeks. They played really hard. I had the most challenging time against them. The whole match was fairly even. By halftime, we were down 7-3, and I was substituted in net. The third quarter ended 8-8, and we won the match in the last ten seconds.
You won the championship by defeating the strong Serbian team. It was said to be quite a suspenseful match…
The Serbs faced us in the opening match as well, where we lost to them. When we met them again, this time in the final, I was a bit nervous, but we did well. We won 12-10 and took the title.
And you also earned the title of Best Goalkeeper at the World Championships. Did that catch you by surprise?
I didn’t expect it at all. I went to the World Championships as the second goalkeeper. The first goalkeeper started every game, but he wasn’t doing well. I substituted him in the second half of each match. When I entered the water, we were always losing. After I got in, the score almost always turned around.
Do you see your future in water polo?
I received an invitation to the U19 European Championships, but I had to cancel my participation due to a torn muscle. It’s okay—next time. I took a lot away from the World Championships. It’s given me motivation and momentum for the future, and that’s how I want to proceed. I definitely see my future in water polo.
Source: x-bionic® sphere
