The world is a small place when it comes to water polo and we reach out globally for assistance. Stars form many countries have held down coaching positions in other countries. The list is endless. Here’s one story about Greece former international team-mates assisting neighbouring Turkiye with its youth development.
Evangelos Doudesis is one Greek helping Netherlands women in their current quest for medals on the international stage. Eftychia Karagiannis was coaching Israel; Lampros Anastopoulos was coaching Turkiye and Konstantinos Pavlidis had the reins of the Zimbabwean team at the recent U18 women’s world championships in Greece; Dimitrios Mavrotas with the Turkish women at the recent 4x4 world championships. All Greeks, all helping other nations.
Kostas Loudis and Vangelis Patras were at the helm of the Turkiye U18 men in Rio Major, Portugal during the recent world championships.
Loudis has captained Greece at the Olympic Games and was first approached about a year and a half ago by people from the Turkish Water Polo Federation.
“I believe the people leading the federation had, and continue to have, a clear vision for the development of Turkish water polo. In my opinion, that was the main reason they approached me and convinced me to come to Turkey and work here.
“My goal has been to contribute my experience, expertise, knowledge and coaching abilities to the development of Turkish water polo and to help build a stronger future for the sport,” Loudis said.
The initial agreement was for a two-plus-two-year collaboration, for a total of four years.
“In collaboration with the federation, we develop a comprehensive annual plan at the beginning of each season, taking into account all the competitions scheduled throughout the year across every age category. Based on this plan, we organise a series of training camps during the season to ensure that national team athletes maintain regular contact with their coaches.
“In addition, in the lead-up to major international competitions, we schedule a longer preparation period to give the team the best possible opportunity to be fully prepared for the specific tournament. The same approach is followed across all age groups participating in European and World Championships.”
After the national team commitments come to an end, the athletes return to their clubs and continue their daily training there. They do so having significantly improved their technical and tactical skills, but, even more importantly, having developed a stronger mindset and a higher level of professionalism through their experience with the national teams.
“Regarding your question about mindset, I would say that this is the single most important aspect of our work. It is the main point of focus for both me and my staff, as we are trying to change the mentality of the athletes — and, more broadly, the sporting culture in the country — by introducing a completely different way of thinking.
“Our goal is to help the players adopt the same mindset and work ethic found in countries where water polo is played at the highest level. The truth is that the athletes have responded very positively, and this is already reflected in their performances and results.
“Of course, changing a mindset is one of the most difficult parts of the process. It requires great patience, consistency, and time, before the way people think and work around the sport can be transformed completely.
“I should also point out that, beyond changing the athletes' mindset, we are working to ensure that all the national age-group teams beneath the senior men's team play the same style of water polo. Our objective is to establish a unified playing philosophy throughout the entire national team programme,” Loudis said.
By implementing the same tactical principles and style of play across all age categories, the transition of players from the junior national teams to the senior men's national team becomes much smoother. When they are promoted, they already understand the team's playing philosophy, tactical system, and expectations, allowing them to adapt more quickly and contribute effectively to the senior national team.
“The athletes' response has been extremely positive. That was evident from the very beginning of our collaboration. Without their positive attitude, commitment, and willingness to embrace this process, we certainly would not have achieved the progress we've made so far.
“As I mentioned before, this is a long-term project that requires a great deal of hard work and patience. Success does not come overnight. The same was true in my own country, Greece. It took many years for our national team to reach the level it has maintained over the past 15 years, consistently competing for medals in every major international competition.
“That is why I believe we are in a very promising position. Although we have only been working together for about a year and a half, the progress has been outstanding. One of the main reasons is the tremendous talent these athletes possess. With continued dedication, proper guidance, and patience, I am confident they have the potential to achieve great things in the future,” Loudis said.
The progress made through the past year and a half has been remarkable — much faster than he initially expected. At every level, both the national teams and water polo in the country have improved significantly.
This is reflected in the results against strong, traditionally established nations.
“At the senior men's level, we have achieved victories over teams such as Germany, Slovakia, Georgia, and China, while also being highly competitive against some of the world's most traditional and successful water polo nations.
“The same applies to the age-group national teams, where the results and victories have also been very encouraging. However, what matters most is not only the final results but our ability to perform consistently at a highly competitive level against strong opponents. That competitiveness is the clearest indicator that we are moving in the right direction and building a solid foundation for the future.”
Loudis said clubs’ overall level had improved significantly. This year's championship finals will be of much higher quality than last year's, which clearly reflects that progress.
Loudis has had help in his quest for higher results.
“I would like to mention Evangelos Patras, who was the person I chose from the very beginning to come and work alongside me, taking responsibility for the development and improvement of goalkeepers in Turkey, across all age categories. I believe he is the ideal coach to improve not only the technical abilities of the goalkeepers but also their mentality and overall approach to the sport.
“I would also like to mention Andrea Perazeti, a colleague who came from Italy and has contributed enormously to the area of physical preparation, both outside the pool and in the water.
“Of course, I must also highlight the importance of having young Turkish coaches alongside me, who are making a great effort from their side to improve many aspects related to training methods and mentality.
Loudis said he was welcomed into the culture from day one.
“The hospitality of the people here and the way we live and work together have been truly exceptional. From the very first day, I have felt as if I were in my own country. I have built wonderful relationships with everyone around me, and I can honestly say that I now spend most of my time in Istanbul. It has truly become my second home.
“Secondly, a key factor in our progress has been the outstanding cooperation between the Turkish Water Polo Federation and the Hellenic Water Polo Federation. Our national teams travel to Greece very frequently for training camps and friendly matches, both against the Greek national teams and many Greek clubs. These opportunities significantly raise our competitive level and play a vital role in the development of our athletes and our programme,” Loudis said,
Scoring Goals asked Patras how his Greekness combined with the Turkish mentality?
“I have not been particularly concerned about this issue. Wherever I have been in Turkiye, people are friendly and helpful. I believe that my adaptability and professionalism have helped in this. Very often I feel that I am among my own people, among friends. Let us not forget that sport is the strongest point of connection between people these days.”
On the reactions he has received from the players? “The reactions of our athletes have been very positive since the first training. Everyone is enthusiastic, serious and thirsty for distinctions.”
Turkish federation team manager Erhan Uysal said the Turkish and Greek federations had maintained strong communication and cooperation with the for many years, built on mutual respect, trust and a shared passion for the development of water polo.
“As Turkiye and Greece share many cultural similarities, this has made it easier to build trust and work closely together. Although Turkish water polo is still progressing in its professionalism, there have naturally been occasions when certain structures or circumstances were different from what they were accustomed to. Even in those situations, they have always been understanding, flexible and solution-oriented, focusing on finding the best way forward rather than the obstacles.
“Regarding the U18 World Championships, we entered the tournament knowing that this age group had not reached its full potential in previous international competitions, and therefore external expectations were relatively modest. Despite having only a short preparation period together, they quickly established an excellent relationship with the players, clearly communicated his philosophy and expectations, and created an environment where the team believed in itself.
“As a result, we experienced a truly memorable and successful tournament. Beyond the results, one of the most valuable outcomes was seeing the real potential of this generation. The championship demonstrated that these young athletes have the quality and character to become important contributors to our developing senior national team in the years ahead. That is perhaps the greatest achievement of this collaboration — it was not only about one tournament, but about building confidence in the future of Turkish water polo,” he said.
The world is watching the progress of Turkish water polo and welcoming another powerhouse nation to the higher stage.