Tamás Márffy Mantuano

Tamás Márffy-Mantuano started his sports career during his university years in the colors of MAC. He achieved results in several sports: ice and field hockey, tennis, fencing, athletics, boxing, and shooting. He won a high school championship in tennis; however, he achieved his greatest success in hockey. He played in the colors of the Magyar HC and won the national championship in 1942. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics Márffy played in three matches and scored one goal.

In addition to an active sports career, he entered the diplomatic career as early as 1930. His first station was in Belgrade, where he served for a year and then returned to the ministry. From 1938 he first served in Italy and then in 1940 in Turkey. He returned to the Foreign Ministry in 1944, but due to his aristocratic origins he could not stay there for long. With the help of his sister in London, Judith, who was also a well-known article writer for the English and international press under the name Lady Listovel, he fled to London in 1948.

Even during his emigration to London, he was not completely cut off from sports and the Olympics. He was one of the main advocates and organizers of the Olympic participation of emigrant Eastern European athletes. In connection with this, he met with Avery Brundage at the IOC meeting in Oslo in 1952 and tried to persuade the IOC members before the Helsinki Olympics, but unfortunately without success.