Water Sports Association Lays Groundwork for Thai Water Polo, Brings in Tamas Schmidt for Youth Development

The Water Sports Association of Thailand has signed Tamas Schmidt, a Hungarian coach and former assistant to Maxim Kordonsky, to manage youth water polo development and plans to expand training centers by two more locations to build a stronger foundation for the sport. Secretary-General Thanawit Thosakul revealed that Thai water polo is performing well, especially the women's team, which has dominated ASEAN championships since 2015 and recently placed 4th at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. With five female athletes currently playing in European leagues, the association aims to build a more robust youth development system. Schmidt, 35, will first visit training centers to assess current conditions and collect data. The association wants to align youth training with the national team's methods and develop more coaches and referees to ensure sustainable youth development.