BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 22. Azerbaijan Swimming Federation’s Vice President Mark Koganov was awarded the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Aquatic (formerly Paragon) Awards for his contribution to the development of water sports, the press service of the federation told Trend.
The Aquatic Awards are annually awarded to individuals or organizations that have made a great contribution to the development of water sports.
ISHOF has announced Mike Unger for Competitive Swimming, Koganov for Water Polo, Ellie Smart for Diving, Maria José Bilbao Brunel for Artistic/Synchronized Swimming, Cullen Jones for Water Safety and Sofia Forte for Recreational Swimming as the 2023 winners.
The awards ceremony will take place on September 29, 2023, during the ISHOF Honoree Induction, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Koganov began his career in water polo as an athlete between 1982-1990 and as a member of the National Team of Azerbaijan. He later became a water polo referee, and from 1998 to the present he has officiated in over 300 international competitions, including officiated in six NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Finals for men and women, as well as more than 1,500 collegiate games in different conferences in the US.
Besides, he has held numerous aquatic positions, including Water Polo Competitions Director, Aquatic Competitions Manager, and administrative positions in this sport.
He has been the Vice President of the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation since 2012, a member of the LEN TWPC (European Swimming League Technical Water Polo Committee) since 2016, and the Vice Chairman of the FINA (International Swimming Federation) Water Polo Technical Committee in 2017-2022.
