JEDDAH, 9 November 2007 — As a parting shot before leaving the Kingdom for good Al-Ahli water polo coach Serbian Sergei Clodo Sheikhs told his players to stick together with the team and keep the faith in the new coaching staff.
“Because they have what it takes to succeed especially now in the 11th Pan Arab Games in Cairo from Nov. 11 to 25. I believe the Saudi national water polo team can win due to the large number of good players they have,” Sheikhs said.
The coach said there is a resurgence of water polo in Saudi Arabia and this has to do with the massive attention and support from the Saudi Arabian Swimming Federation here. As a result, the country now has a strong national team and Saudi clubs run water polo programs.
“I was trying to find the best deal for me in the beginning, and Ahli offered me that so I joined them,” he said. He never left the club because as he said, the club has provided him with a warm and hospitable atmosphere so much so that he was able to look after all the age categories in the club.
“My father who settled here also encouraged me to continue with Ahli specially as it became one of the best teams in Jeddah and brought many laurels along with Al-Ittihad.”
“It was not easy for sure to handle it when I first came here but any coach face obstacles and in any sport,” he said. Sergei managed to overcome all the difficulties and due to the long years he spent with Ahli he is now considered as the founder of the game in Ahli and the builder of the talented water polo athletes in Saudi Arabia. From his experience he managed to create special programs for the team according to their age until the team kept winning titles year after year other whether in Saudi, Gulf or Asian championships.
The coach said that since he was sure the plans he set for the teams were accomplished, it was time to spend time with his family now. “I took this decision only after I became certain of what the team have to offer to their club and to their country,” he said. “Players at Ahli are almost close to graduating as coaches due to the experience they have, and this is what I wish for in other clubs for the competition to become more exciting and thrilling.”
The weak and strong points of teams vary from one season to another, he said. Lest he be accused of self-promotion, Sergei did not go into details in the assessment of Ahli.
He, however, rates Ittihad a tough rival that has won many of games locally and internationally. For a season, Ittihad had a shaky defense line, but managed to solve that by bringing in professionals. Qadisiya and Safa clubs of the Eastern Province too are doing their best trying to catch up and sometimes become a real threat for Ahli and Ittihad. “Water polo popularity in the Western Province and the tough competition help in the progress of the teams here,” he said.
Despite the strides being made by Ahli, Ittihad and Qadisiya in the promotion of water polo Sergei feels the sport “needs more support.”
Sergei does not hide his fatherly feelings for his boys at Ahli. “Someday I might get back and look for those who are not attending and drive them back from their homes to the club to train. It is a thing I enjoy doing because I consider them as my children and never regret doing this or providing them with any emotional support through the years,” said the coach who spent up to 11 years in the country coaching the national team and Ahli water polo boys, youth and senior teams.
