Captain of the Croatian water polo team Sandro Sukno was crowned the best water polo player in the world at the Total Player 2017 Awards, winning in a fierce competition against 15 other players suggested by the leading voices of the global water polo community.

Pro Recco driver Sukno heads the top 3 in the world and is followed by two Szolnoki Vízilabda SC team members: Serbian representative Andrija Prlainović and the amazing Hungarian goalkeeper Viktor Nagy.

This is another in the line of successes for Sandro Sukno, who is experiencing one of the best professional seasons in his career. Having led his team to the title of World Champions in July this year, he was also voted MVP of the final game during the competition.

Organized by the Total Waterpolo sports website, the award is presented by a jury of 21 renown water polo coaches and international media representatives. The jury shortlisted a total of 16 players from 7 countries: Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Greece and Japan. Sukno’s great performance during the World Championships in Budapest drew a lot of attention from the judges, with 11 of them making Sukno their first choice for best player.

Beside the best player, the jury also established the best team in 2017 – The Total Seven, with four of them hailing from current world champions Croatia: Luka Lončar (center forward), Xavi Garcia (right wing), Sandro Sukno (left wing) and Andro Bušlje (set guard). Two Hungarian players were also elected, Viktor Nagy in the role of the goalkeeper and Marton Vamos as the right driver. Serbian genius Andrija Prlainović rounds up the team in the left wing position.

Full voting results, along with commentary, are available on the official website of the competition.

In addition to promoting sportsmanship, the Total Player 2017 project also aims to raise awareness about the benefits of sports in underprivileged communities. The Keel company will create a unique line of water polo equipment with Sandro Sukno’s signature to be donated to the M. Nascimento sports center in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Center has been offering training for young players in modest conditions for years, enabling children to familiarize themselves with the sport, develop team spirit and focus on staying in school.

„I’m very glad about the received recognition and applaud the social aspect of this award. I’m looking forward to donating a set of limited edition equipment to lesser water polo communities considering that our sport can use all the exposure it can get“, commented Sukno in his interview for Total Waterpolo.

About Total Player Awards:

The Total Player award is a initiative by the water polo community that aims to globally popularize the sport and improve sportsmanship among different nations. By connecting coaches and media representatives from all around the world, Total Player award ensures top voices in the industry are heard, and top performers given recognition for their achievements in the previous playing season. The award is organized by Total Waterpolo sports website and sponsored by leading water polo equipment manufacturer Keel.