ACHIEVEMENTS OF HUNGARIAN AUSTRALIANS IN SPORT

Post –war Hungarian Emigrants to Australia from 1948- onwards contributed to sport on many fields:

Water polo, Soccer, Fencing, Wrestling, Canoeing-Kayaking, & in various others.

Thousands of Freedom fighters and some members of the Hungarian National team competing in the

1956 Melbourne Olympic Games

found a new home here by the generosity of the people of Victoria. Australia will never forget the match between Russia and Hungary which

turned into a blood bath over the 1956 crises of the Russian invasion of Hungary..

Water Polo- Members of the Gold Medal winning Hungarian Water Polo team, who remained here as refugees

established: "Hungarian Water Polo Club" in Melbourne. State champions for many years, they also captured the Australian Title. Within a few years every state team had a Hungarian born coach. Forty years later Australia is among the top ten water polo nations of the world for both men and women teams.

World Game Soccer- Young refugee freedom fighters formed : "Melbourne Hungarian Soccer Club" (M.H.S.C) in 1957.

<- Golden Team/State Champions ->

Within a few years this club reached the top level of the competition and its "GOLDEN TEAM" in 1967 won the coveted "Australia Cup", and having become the National Champions previously in the year 1964 the team became for the the first time Victorian State Champions. Over two decades the club was a leading contributer to junior soccer development in Victoria. Many players represented Victoria in the State Team, as well as two of former M.H.S.C. juniors ( A.Abonyi and P.Barna) represented Australia in World Cup competition both locally and away abroad.

Fencing - In all sporting activities, fencing has had the strongest Hungarian influence in more recent times. The Australian

Olympic fencing Team in 1956 had six Hungarian born members, whom settled here as migrants, just after World War II. The Hungarian born E. Szakáll was the president of the Australian Fencing Federation for almost twenty years. Due to his successful leadership, this classical sport became quite popular here. His best competitor was Greg Benkö, 21 times Australian sabre and foil champion. He represented Australia at four Olympic Games, and was the first non-European fencer ever to reach the finals.

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