Those old stories entertained his childhood. His father Manolo, under the sticks, cap of Spain, in the Games of Moscow 1980, when the selection stayed to a pair of goals of his first medal. His father Manolo, whom they called Carioco for being born in Brazil, became in 1981 the first Spanish water polo professional after his signing for the CN Montjuïc. His father Manolo and misfortune, the finger in the eye of a rival in a friendly that affected his eyes, left him out of the 1984 Los Angeles Games and forced him to retire. Those old stories entertained his childhood and that is why Adrià Delgado (Barcelona, 1990) wanted to repeat them.
For many years he put on his gloves again and again, again and again, under water polo goals, but also other sports, such as football, but nothing, impossible, there was no way. «It was bad, it was very bad, I even realized. Then I discovered that I was good at swimming and in the end I found my place in water polo, ”he acknowledges EL MUNDO now, after meeting on the other side. Today Delgado is a gunsmith, the top scorer of this Spanish League with the CN Barcelona, and, with that profile, the main novelty of Spain in the men's European that is played these days in Budapest .
At 30 he has reached his great premiere with the selection after many, many laps. «I had always dreamed of this moment, since I saw the gold of the 1996 Atlanta Games on TV. Sometimes you have to go outside to be valued, but my goal has always been to return, ”says Delgado, who in his own explanation underlines his rarity: in fact, he has already been Olympic. But not with Spain, with Brazil. «My grandparents emigrated to Brazil in the 50s and there my father was born, who returned as a child. I had never lived in Brazil, but before the Rio Games they offered me the opportunity and I accepted. We reached the quarter-finals after beating Serbia and that opened many doors for me, ”he says after winning the return pulse.
Back to Barcelona
To be selectable again with Spain, he had to abandon his trip abroad, Brazil, Hungary and Romania and settle again in Barcelona, as part of the staff of the CN Barcelona, waiting for the call of the coach David Martin . The call did not come for the last World Cup, but for this European in which the challenge is to adapt to a group already made. "This is what the coach has asked me to do, so I can quickly fit my teammates both inside and outside the pool and contribute my game," says Delgado.
After a time of anxiety, Spain has regained the level with a young generation grouped around Atlètic Barcelona . The silver in the previous European and especially the silver in the last World Cup, which had annexed the classification for the Tokyo Games, has launched a group that already dream of emulating the Estiarte , Rollán and company in the next Olympic event.
In this European, where they arrive without pressure thanks to the Olympic ticket already obtained, the objective is to continue shooting for that event. Last Tuesday Spain won a friendly debut against Malta, and today Hungary (19.00 hours, Teledeporte) faces its first demanding test. A victory would serve to dodge the round of eighths and win a more affordable quarters, far from other favorites such as Italy or Serbia. «It is a topic, but I only think of the match. I would love to go to Tokyo and be an Olympic with Spain, but first I have to win it in this European, ”concludes Delgado, a nationalized home.
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