The Hungarian water polo team has beat Turkey 19-5 in its first match of the 34th LEN European Water Polo Championships in Budapest.
The first quarter of the match was tight and ended in a 4-4 draw. Turkey only managed to score one more point after that while the home team sped away with the victory.
The hero of the match was 22-year-old Krisztián Manhercz, who scored five of Hungary’s goals.
Hungary has another two group matches in store, one against Malta and the other against Spain. After making it through those matches, the team will face Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro, all of which have a realistic chance at winning the championship.
The Hungarian team is determined to win on home soil this year, and is also going for its first European gold this millennium, last having won in 1999.
The European champions will also automatically qualify for the summer Olympics, allowing them to skip the Olympic qualifier tournament.
Follow the tournament here.
Photo credit: vlv.hu