Hungary coach for Malta swim team

Steven Kormos, a Hungarian, will be the new Malta national swimming team coach.

Dr Michael Gialanze, chairman of the ASA Swimming Board, said that arrangements for the engagement of Kormos were concluded recently and the new coach is already on the island.

When contacted, the 46-year-old Hungarian said that he aims at providing our swimmers with the abilities of being strong, energetic and passionate and to give them valid and effective support, with competition being the foremost objective.

"These are my goals in coaching and through my contacts I want to utilise the opportunity of meeting new cultures and be prepared for new professional challenges," Kormos said.

Kormos, married with two children, succeeds another Hungarian, Attila Selmeci, whose term as national team coach expired in September of last year after preparing the swimmers for the 2003 Games of the Small States of Europe.

High profile

The new coach, a former member of the Hungarian national team which established a new record in the 1979 European Championships and winner of several national titles, has an impressive pedigree in coaching.

Between 1985 and 1989 he was a collaborator for the national programmes of the Hungarian Swimming Federation, leading the swimmers to major international competitions. Famous names during that period were world champions Krisztina Egerszegi and Tamas Darnyi.

Before coming to Malta, Kormos was head coach of Italian Club Reggio Emilia. Until very recently he was Technical Swimming Consultant to the Ferencvaros Club.

Commenting on this new appointment, Dr Gialanze said that Maltese swimmers will now look forward to having a programmed training itinerary.

"It is our aim to help swimmers to have a solid base of specialised long-term programmes leading to explicit targets," he said.

"After plans for the engagement of Italian coach Mario Salvatore fell through last month, owing to late hitches, contacts were successfully concluded with the Hungarian Federation for Kormos to take up the coaching job.

"Our immediate objective is to prepare the swimmers for the 2005 GSSE and we look forward to a smooth programme of preparation leading up to that event."