More than a mascot - Veszprem's Csaba Remport
The person behind a club's mascot is often unknown; however, this is not the case in MKB MVM Veszprem.
Csaba Remport is a well-known figure in the ranks of the Veszprem crowd.
Starting off as a sweat mopper Remport moved around various volunteer jobs at the club and even held a position as a video analyst for the Hungarian national team.
“I am the second home-grown member of the squad with local right wing hero Peter Gulyas,” grinned Remport.
“This team has always meant so much to me and I wanted to do more than just shout from the stands. When the opportunity arose to get on board with the team I immediately took it.”
Veszprem’s management decided to introduce a mascot in 2010 and called it KabalaCsaba (from the Hungarian translation of mascot and Remport’s first name).
The favourite fan remained at coach Carlos Ortega’s disposal as a video analyst and is still the leader of the Veszprem crowd in away games.
“It gives me great pleasure to be around the guys all the time. Working with the coaching staff is hard work but not even close to as tough as sporting a three kilogram sponge costume for two hours.
“However, as a mascot I prefer smaller games because that’s when I can entertain kids, take photos together and give them high-fives. I just love working with all the players and fans."
The mascot itself is a builder, deriving from the club's long-standing nickname (Epitok) and connection with their first main sponsor back in 1977 (VAEV - a construction company).
Since then the team has seen a lot of name changes but their famous chant 'Epitok' has remained and the club's management plans to continue to honour their club's roots.
TEXT: Bence Mártha / bc
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