As seen on Swiminfo today.......so much for citizenship eh?! And we complain about masters "superteams"!
Draganja Changing Allegiances to Qatar
ZAGREB, Croatia, December 7. WHILE South Africa’s Roland Schoeman has spurned an offer to switch his allegiance to Qatar, the same cannot be said for Croatian Duje Draganja. The sprint sensation, a 24-year-old, recently accepted a lucrative offer to swim for the Middle Eastern nation, which has been chasing high-profile athletes by offering significant sums of money.
Before accepting the offer from Qatar, which is believed to be at least $1 million, Draganja gave Croatian swimming officials the opportunity to keep him swimming under his homeland’s flag. Ultimately, though, the Arab nation won out and Draganja is expected to race for Qatar at next year’s World Short Course Championships in Shanghai, China.
More Swim Exploring:
Roland Gimbutis is the latest swimmer being pursued by Qater. The value of the offer is a little low compared to what Duje Draganja got from the wealth and riches country. Read the story
and you will see they are offering him $10,000 per month. There might be some major negotiating going on right now. Roland was part of the US Open/NCAA 400 Free Record setting relay that averaged under :41.95 per 100 per man. There time was the fastest by over a second of anyone in NCAA history at 2:47.70 and if Qater gets Roland it will have half of the 2005 Cal Relay.
I believe the next recruit will be out of Coach Mike Bottom's camp and that would be Milorad Cavic from Serbia-Montenegro, who went the same time as Gimbutis in the relay at :41.87. Then if they can recruit someone like Peter Mankoc of Slovica then they can challenge every country in the world in the 400 Free Relay.
It will be interesting to see if Roland Gimbutis accepts this offer or alters the offer. Judging from the aritcle it does not look like major funding is available so I think you are going to see another swimmer for Qater
More Swim Exploring:
Roland Gimbutis is the latest swimmer being pursued by Qater. The value of the offer is a little low compared to what Duje Draganja got from the wealth and riches country. Read the story
and you will see they are offering him $10,000 per month. There might be some major negotiating going on right now. Roland was part of the US Open/NCAA 400 Free Record setting relay that averaged under :41.95 per 100 per man. There time was the fastest by over a second of anyone in NCAA history at 2:47.70 and if Qater gets Roland it will have half of the 2005 Cal Relay.
I believe the next recruit will be out of Coach Mike Bottom's camp and that would be Milorad Cavic from Serbia-Montenegro, who went the same time as Gimbutis in the relay at :41.87. Then if they can recruit someone like Peter Mankoc of Slovica then they can challenge every country in the world in the 400 Free Relay.
It will be interesting to see if Roland Gimbutis accepts this offer or alters the offer. Judging from the aritcle it does not look like major funding is available so I think you are going to see another swimmer for Qater
