Japan is no longer to host a delayed FINA World Championships in 2023. Fortunately for FINA, Hungary is able and willing to host the event in 2022. For its part, Debrecen is to host the Water Polo World Championships, while the other events will be held at facilities across Budapest, and at other cities including Sopron and Szeged. At the time of writing, FINA had not updated its website to reflect the changes.
This year’s World Cup had already been rescheduled due to the coronavirus epidemic until 2023, but will now take place during 2022 in Hungary. This new arrangement does not affect the 2027 Olympic Qualifying World Championships, which will also be hosted by Hungary.
The scaled-down Championships will cut costs for the organizers and is expected to greatly benefit Hungary, including Debrecen, thanks to its share of guest nights from those visiting the city for the Water Polo Championships.
In total, countrywide, the FINA Championships are expected to bring 100 thousand hotel guest nights to Hungary.
Attila Vári, president of the Hungarian Water Polo Federation, said that this would be the nation’s world championship, as the sport’s matches would be played not only in Budapest but also in Sopron, Debrecen, and Szeged. Tamás Molnár, member of the FINA Water Polo Committee and Vice President of the MVLSZ, stressed that the possibility of this World Championships is a huge victory, which praises the work of the government and the Hungarian sport for the past twelve years.
The championships will be held between the 18th of June and the 3rd of July 2022.
