1956, Melbourne: Second silver medal for Yugoslavia

Five victories, an unexpected tie with Germany (German Democratic Republic and Federal Republic of Germany competed in the same team for the first time) and a defeat from the new-old champion Hungary was Yugoslavia’s score. It was enough to win them a silver medal, just like in Helsinki four years ago. The coach was File Bonačić, and Zdravko-Ćiro Kovačić, as in Helsinki, was elected the tournament’s best goalkeeper.Beside a number of Hungary’s water polo players who applied for a political asylum in Australia or in the other countries’ embassies due to an intervention of the Warsaw Pact forces in Hungary (45 Hungarian athletes failed to return to their home country), Ivo Štakula chose to remain in Australia.

The team: Zdravko Kovačić, Juraj Amšel, Ivo Cipci, Hrvoje Kačić, Marjan Žuželj, Boško Vuksanović, Vlado Ivković, Lovro Radonjić, Ivo Štakula, Tomislav Franković, Zdravko Ježić.

Source: www.okscg.org.yu/i108e.htm