Water Polo Team Resigns Over Alleged Lack of Respect and Belittling Behavior

Serbia’s National Water Polo Team Experiences Leadership Crisis

A dispute has erupted within Serbia’s national water polo team, with 11 players boycotting the squad following comments made by the newly appointed federation chief, Slobodan Soro. The crisis began after Soro stated that the European championship win in January was the result of “momentary inspiration” and that the national team is no longer at its previous level.

In response to these remarks, coach Uros Stevanovic resigned, and the players have issued an open letter expressing their dissatisfaction with Soro’s comments. The letter states that the players’ gold medals were not the product of “momentary inspiration,” but rather the result of years of great sacrifice.

The federation has confirmed that seven former and four current national team players signed the letter, which was published on its website. The federation has also stated that it does not wish to participate in what it describes as a normal process within a sports body that has turned contentious.

Soro, who was appointed federation president on April 29, has yet to comment on the players’ boycott. Serbia’s national team had previously won the European championship and Olympic gold medal, with their most recent success coming at the start of this year in Belgrade.

Source: Al Jazeera