Budapest's sporting supremo, deputy minister Balázs Fürjes has hailed Hungary's special relationship with aquatics

Balázs Fürjes, the man behind Budapest’s development of sporting facilities and attraction of international events in recent years, has hailed the special relationship his country has with aquatics.

Speaking on the weekend when Hungary’s capital began the staging of its second International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Championships, Fürjes, who is now deputy minister in the office of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, recalled that the first hosting, in 2017, had been described by the then International Swimming Federation President Julio Maglione as "the best ever."

"Obviously that is an endorsement that not only the venues were superb for the FINA 2017 but also the hosting and the organisation," Fürjes told insidethegames.

"We did it from our heart.

"And that’s an added value for sure.

"Of course we are in a completely different situation now than back then, in that there is nothing to build.

"We have every venue with the only exception of high diving, which is now being organised separately by FINA.

"It is only the organisation that has to be done."

Competition is taking place in the Duna Arena, one of many major sporting venues that have been constructed under Fürjes’ supervision, which was already chosen to host the 2027 FINA World Championships before filling the gap left by Fukuoka’s postponement of their planned staging this year due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Budapest's Duna Arena is currently hosting the FINA World Championships after its initial staging in 2017, and will also be the venue for the 2027 edition ©Getty Images
Budapest's Duna Arena is currently hosting the FINA World Championships after its initial staging in 2017, and will also be the venue for the 2027 edition ©Getty Images

"Budapest will be the only city hosting three FINA World Championships within 10 years," Fürjes added.

"Aquatics is particularly important for us. There are the so-called global sports that are followed and liked and watched everywhere - football, tennis, basketball, athletics and swimming.

"And out of these right now - and I hope it will be changing, don’t forget this week’s 4-0 win by Hungary over the England football team!  I hope that our football comes back to what it used to be - it is only in aquatics where Hungarian athletes are at world level.

"I hope we will have a future Olympic tennis player, but for a long time it has been wholly and exclusively swimming – that is, aquatics, because there is water polo as well.

"Also there is a special link between the FINA family and ourselves, because their first Olympic champion was our first Olympic gold medal.

"At the 1896 Athens Olympics the first ever gold medal in swimming was won by our Alfred Hajos."

The full interview is available in this week's Big Read