20-year-old WAIS athlete, Aaron Younger, knows better than most about the passion and tenacity of the Hungarian men’s water polo team.
He has spent the last two years in the country playing professionally, and is fast becoming one of the leading players in Europe.
As he and his Aussie Sharks teammates continue their preparations towards the London Olympics, we quizzed Younger on his decision to move to Hungary and the vibe surrounding the prospects of the Australian team.
“I moved to Hungary to gain some experience ahead of the Olympic year and it’s turned out to be a great decision,” Younger said.
“Being a young player in the Australian squad, my biggest weakness was always going to be experience so I thought a move would be my best way of making the team.
“After playing over 100 games against some of the best players in the world and really maturing as a player I guess it’s now starting to pay off.
“I’ve also made some great friends along the way too.
“A lot of the recent chat with my teammates has been in relation to the Olympics as to who will come out on top and they really consider us as big threats and consider us a world-class team.
“So I’m hoping that we can beat them at London so that I can finally do a bit more of the trash talking.”
Younger, who is back in Australia for the Aussie Sharks training camp on the Gold Coast, concedes that such a feat will be difficult, but is confident he and his teammates can end the dynasty of the nine time champions.
“The Sharks have a great chance to beat teams like Hungary and bring home the gold. We’ve had a big squad since the start and I believe there is no player in that squad that doubts we can win,” the Palmyra local said.
“I wouldn’t have put so much dedication into this dream if I didn’t believe this team could do it.
“It would be my ultimate goal and is why I and the rest of the guys have put our lives into it for a long time.
“To be able to see the hard work pay off from the top of the podium would be an indescribable feeling for me and the perfect way to pay back my parents and friends.”
The Sharks leave their Gold Coast base on May 28 before heading to Kazakhstan via Bangkok for the FINA World League Finals on June 5.
The camp is Younger’s first appearance with the squad since January and says he is looking forward to touring with the team after a successful season with his club Szeged Beton.
“It’s been a while since I have been with the guys, but I have been reading all the reports and emails from Hungary and I really can’t wait to compete again together,” he said.
“It’s going to great playing for my home country again and also playing for a team with such a high drive and big goals to match my own.”
The World League Finals in Kazakhstan run from June 12-17 with the Olympic squad to be announced on June 22.
– Water Polo Australia
