The Water Polo World Cup superfinal will take place in Podgorica, Montenegro, as announced today by the Water Polo and Swimming Federation of Montenegro (VPSCG).

Initially, the tournament was set to be held in Budva and Kotor. However, the Croatian Water Polo Federation threatened to withdraw from the final tournament scheduled for April 11-13, due to the Kotor swimming pool being named after Zoran – Džimi Gopčević. Croatia is set to face the “Sharks” in the quarterfinals.

The Montenegrin government highlighted that hosting the World Cup Superfinal in Podgorica would align entirely with the sports interests of the country.

“Following the recommendations from the Government of the Republic of Croatia advising against the Croatian national team’s participation in Kotor due to the pool’s naming issue, we have complied with our Government’s advice to adjust our plans and host the Final Tournament in Podgorica,” announced VPSCG.

VPSCG stated, “Our initial interest and bid to host the World Cup Final Tournament stemmed from our desire to give water polo fans in Montenegro a chance to enjoy an exciting sporting event and for our ‘Sharks’ to compete on home turf in front of local supporters.”

“We envisioned hosting the tournament in regions where our water polo tradition thrives, where it is cherished as both a sport and way of life, and where the cult of our national team has flourished—specifically along our coast, in Kotor and Budva. Nonetheless, we believe all qualified national teams should partake in this sporting event, unhindered by circumstances unrelated to the sport that might compromise the significance of this competition,” VPSCG expressed.

They also clarified that this adjustment is the only feasible option, taking into account that Herceg Novi still lacks an indoor swimming facility, the inadequacy of hotel accommodations in Nikšić to meet the standards for such events, and the fact that the swimming pool in Budva does not satisfy the necessary requirements individually.

“We affirm our eagerness and readiness to engage in collaborative efforts to resolve the contentious naming issue of the Kotor swimming pool promptly, so that our sport can unite once again and bridge all divisions and misunderstandings. The commitment to unity within the water polo community, as well as the strong relations between our two Federations, is exemplified by the long-standing Regional League competition involving clubs from Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, and Slovenia,” VPSCG added.

The VPSCG also took the opportunity to express gratitude to the World Aquatics Federation, “with whom we have conducted several meetings in recent times to discuss a new hosting location.”

“We hope that they will consider the current non-sporting factors, despite the City Swimming Pool in Podgorica lacking the technical capacities to host the World Cup Final Tournament as it deserves. Our goal now is to fulfill our role as organizers with utmost commitment and additional financial support while presenting ourselves as gracious hosts to the best of our abilities. Unfortunately, this scenario highlights once again the infrastructural challenges faced by water polo, a sport that should undoubtedly be recognized as our national sport given its achievements. We firmly believe, with the backing of the Government of Montenegro, which we thank for its understanding and support in organizing such a significant event, that we will achieve everything needed in a short time for our national team to secure a spot in the World Championship, with the encouragement of our fans,” concluded the statement.

The Super Finals are set for April 11-13, featuring Montenegro and Croatia, along with Hungary, Spain, Greece, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands. Three bids for the World Cup will be awarded during this tournament.

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