European Drone Soccer Championship: Hungary, the Perennial Runner-Up, but a Promising First time
While in discussions with FIDA regarding its official membership in the Federation, Hungary was eager to participate in this very first European Championship in Bologna. Two teams entered the competition—Fulek Gimnazium High School and the NKE HZSE Military School—with the goal of gaining as much experience as possible for the future and competing against European powerhouses for the first time.
Just a few weeks after hosting their first national championship, the Hungarian delegation arrived in Bologna. Having qualified through that inaugural national championship, the two Hungarian teams proudly represented their country in the tournament, winning 3 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. This was a source of pride for Mihaly Sos, president of Drone Soccer Hungary, who had not expected such an experience: « This was the Hungarian team’s first international appearance and their first time participating in a 5-on-5 tournament. We gained a lot of experience. Now the young players understand why it’s worth training. The same goes for the kids from Fülek. I’m sure they’ll improve a lot for the next competitions. Admittedly, there’s a slight sense of unfulfillment in not winning a gold medal, but that can only make us stronger for the next competition! » add the Hungarian Association President.
A Serious Military Team
Hungarian champions in May, the seven members of the NKE HZSE team impressed with their professionalism throughout the three days of competition. Hailing from a Hungarian military academy, this team—coached by Annamária Sinkané—came closest to defeating the Slovaks. Among the teams that spent the most time training in the evenings even after the competitions had ended, they even managed to defeat the future FIDA European champions, Slovakia, in the Club Challenge group stage. This was a major achievement for a team that represents another facet of Drone Soccer—the military angle and everything that goes into its development. A key player in Hungary’s defensive lineup, Alíz Balint is thrilled to have had such an experience: “We could have dreamed of better results, of course, but winning three silver medals at our first international tournament—in a format that was still new to us—is already a tremendous accomplishment. I’m incredibly grateful for how far we’ve come since our victory at the national championship. The military framework taught us teamwork, discipline, punctuality, and respect—values I truly saw embodied by this team throughout the week. Now, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!”
Fulek’s Passion
A young high school team, the players from Fulek Gimnazium showed steady improvement throughout these three days of competition. After finishing third in the School Challenge—having defeated the very young French team Hélices Lumbroises in the third-place match—they went on to face DSFA in the bronze medal match of the Club Challenge. This was the same team they had lost to that very morning in the group stage. But this time, the score was back to zero. After dropping the first set, the young Hungarians stayed in the game and capitalized on their opponents’ mechanical issues to take the next two sets, celebrating their well-deserved bronze medal.
One thing is certain, both on a personal and athletic level: this debut in Drone Soccer is more than promising for Hungary. The final image we’ll take away from this multigenerational delegation will be the national anthem, sung a cappella in unison by the entire delegation, as President Mihaly Sos shed tears of joy to celebrate this impressive haul of medals…