The exhibition match featuring Croatia’s 2012 water polo team and the Svijet team on Korčula marked the farewell of legendary coach Ratko Rudić from his coaching career.

This match was held during the “World Water Polo Days” event at the open pool in Korčula and concluded with a score of 13:13 (3:4, 5:3, 2:3, 3:3).

The Croatia 2012 squad, which reunites the Olympic gold medal-winning team from London 12 years ago, played under the guidance of Ratko Rudić, making this a significant farewell match for him, as reported by Hina.

Team members included Josip Pavić, Damir Burić, Miho Bošković, Nikša Dobud, Maro Joković, Ivan Buljubasic, Petar Muslim, Andro Bušlje, Sandro Sukno, Samir Barač, Igor Hinić, Paulo Obradović, and Frano Vićan.

On the opposing side, Team Svijet was coached by Serbian Hall of Famer Igor Milanović.

Players like Danijel Lopes (Spain), Tamas Kašaš (Hungary), Andrija Prlainović (Serbia), Boris Zloković (Montenegro), Aleksandar Ivović (Montenegro), Felipe Perone (Spain), Duško Pijetlović (Serbia), and Valentino Galo (Italy) represented that team, along with Matteo Ajcardi (Italy), Hristos Afrodakis (Greece), Jorgios Afrudakis (Greece), Zoltan Seči (Hungary), and Mihovil Marinović from VK Galeb MR.

Sukno led the Croatian team with three goals, matched by Prlainović from the opposing team.

Prior to the match, a roundtable discussion titled “Changes in Water Polo from the 1980s to Today” took place, featuring esteemed water polo stars, Hall of Fame members, coaches, and former selectors including Ratko Rudić, Deneš Kemenj, Dejan Savić, and Felipe Perone from Spain.

During this event in front of a packed auditorium at the Cultural Center, participants shared their perspectives on the sport of water polo, discussing necessary changes for the future, current trends, and reflecting on past developments. They also highlighted various challenges and proposed potential solutions.

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