The Greek men's national water polo team makes its maiden appearance in a World Championship final tonight at 7 (AEST).
After losing the final at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago against Serbia, the representative team has another important appointment with history.
The importance of this match was mentioned in an interview with SBS Greek, by the captain of the national team, Giannis Fountoulis.
"We definitely feel great satisfaction and pride. We have achieved something we have not done before, something we have been chasing for years. I think in the last few years as a team we have shown that we belong to the elite. We are fighting for our first gold medal and we are looking forward to the moment when we can make this dream come true."
He also spoke about the national team's opponent, Hungary, a team with a particularly heavy... cap.
"I think both teams will present themselves without stress. There is definitely something very important at stake, like the gold medal, but both teams have now put qualification for the Olympics out of their minds, which is very important in our sport. I think because I know the Hungarians because I have played in the Hungarian league, they will play without any stress. They will go to enjoy their moment in the final. A moment like this, to be in a final, like we were in Tokyo, apart from the fact that you have to give your 100% of yourself, you have to find a way to enjoy the moment. Because you don't get opportunities like this very often in your career as an athlete. For us it's a second time, so I think that's a component of this final as well. The two teams are going to play more freely. I think we're going to see a very good game that I think will be decided in the details," he said.
This game comes at a very negative time for Greece, as like the Tokyo Olympics two years ago in the final against Serbia, the country is facing deadly fires. Giannis Fountoulis spoke about how everything that is happening in the country affects the team's mood.
"Unfortunately. I guess we are, it seems, a people who do not learn from our mistakes. Every year we have the same incidents. People lose property, they are in danger, they lose their lives and virtually nothing changes. Time just changes and the same things happen and worse every time. We can't do much, we are on the other side of the world. It goes without saying that we are saddened and burdened by all that is happening in our country and to our fellow human beings. But here we are, as I said in Tokyo, in a final that is what we have been working for a lifetime to be in. So you put aside any negative situations and thoughts. Your mind is dedicated for the final day and you give it your best shot. Anyway, as I said before, there's nothing you can do tangibly to help, only to put yourself in the mind and in the shoes of these people and understand what they're feeling and how difficult everything is that people are going through in Greece.
He also commented on whether history owes a gold medal to the Greek national team, after the defeat in the final of the Tokyo Olympics.
"History owes no one and nothing to anyone. I think that in sport most of the time what you deserve is what you get, most of the time, because there is the luck factor. It's a meritocracy, how you work, how you prepare, the more sacrifices you make for what you want to achieve, the more chances you have to achieve it. If we don't go in with a winning spirit, with a knife in our teeth as they say, history alone is not going to help us win. We are the ones who define what will happen and that's what we want to achieve," he said.
At the same time, he sent his own message to Greeks everywhere about the final.
"We will do everything to put Greece on the highest step of the podium and our anthem will be heard around the world."
Listen to more in the podcast accompanying this article.
