We found out at the Hungarian Short-course National Swimming Championships in Debrecen how selective plastic bottle collection, a Ferencváros and UTE derby, along with a basketball battle of the sexes held in a swimming pool , relate to each other as part of the cooperation between Viwa vitaminwater, the Hungarian Swimming Federation and the Sports for Nature Framework.
We were lucky enough to witness many great battles thanks to the TV broadcasts of the Short-course Hungarian Swimming National Championships from Debrecen, but there was such a Ferencváros – UTE derby, which only those present at the swimming pool could cheer for. Kristóf Rasovszky, the Olympic, World and European Champion, representing the green and white club of Ferencváros, took part in a special basketball match with Gábor Zombori, the former World Junior Swimming Champion and European bronze medallist, who competes for the purple coloured Újpest team – and as a cherry on top, there even was a basketball battle of the sexes.
The prelude of the basketball match is the environmental educational idea of the Hungarian Swimming Federation from the Budapest 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships and now this initiative of selective plastic bottle bins with basketball backboard was launched at the Hungarian Swimming Championships level. Back at the Duna Aréna Hubert Kós and Jack Alexy played basketball, so there was an American – Hungarian sport rivalry, whereas now a Ferencáros – UTE derby and another basketball battle of the sexes took place with the two tallest swimmers, Petra Senánszky and Ádám Jászó at the new backboards provided by the Federation’s water partner Viwa.
However, we decided not to announce the results after either basketball free throw competition, but not because the swimmers did not manage to score (in fact – Petra’s father was a professional basketball player by the way; it well showed in her throws!) – but mostly because everyone could claim victory.
The biggest winner (besides nature) is the Debrecen Charitable Board association, which was named as the beneficiary of this initiative. They received the recollected the deposit fee of the bottles in the form of chocolates, as they had just started their Christmas campaign to provide chocolates to families in need. It may only be just a gesture, but this small good deed will still have a beneficial effect on the narrower and broader environment.
We are proud that our initiative, which was formerly implemented with success at a World event (as described among the case studies of the Sports for Nature Framework)has become popular not only among Hungarian swimmers: Viwa the sponsor of the Hungarian Swimming Federation will continue the athletes' basketball training with its’ other partners as well. Soon, football players of 1st division Paks and the basketball players of Falco from Szombathely may also become increasingly environmentally conscious, and for the latter team, the real question is of course what could be a "bigger challenge", whether the hoop will be lowered from 305 cm, or if the basketball will be temporarily replaced with empty plastic bottles...
