For the fifth time ever, Montenegrin water polo players are set to compete in the Olympic Games.

Following appearances in Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo, our national team is heading to Paris after a tough battle to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship.

The “Sharks” fluctuated during the group matches, and their ticket to the City of Light was secured via Romania, ending in a close 12:9 victory that was decided in the final moments of the penultimate minute.

The pressure of the occasion impacted our team, leading to a shaky start, particularly on defense.

In the first quarter, Romania scored five out of six shots and exceeded us with a three-goal lead on two occasions (4:1 and 5:2).

By the end of that period, Vladimir Gojković’s squad managed to cut the deficit to 5:3 with a goal from Konstantin Averka, then continued their surge to take the lead for the first time at 7:6.

From there, Montenegro mostly dictated the play, with Petar Tešanović making vital saves; however, Romania’s defense proved difficult to crack, and our team struggled to find finishing touches when it mattered most.

Missed opportunities to extend our lead came back to haunt us when Jonut Neamcu brought the score down to 10:9 with just over six minutes left.

At a crucial moment, Vlado Popadić stepped up. First, he thwarted Romania’s center from equalizing, then initiated a counterattack that saw him score the decisive 11:9 with a little over four minutes remaining.

Montenegro successfully withstood Romania’s offensive attempts, and Dušan Matković sealed the win, setting the final score at 12:9 just 64 seconds before the game concluded.

Montenegrin water polo players will face Spain in the quarter-finals on Tuesday at 14:00. It’s clear who the favorite is in this matchup, but I believe the “Sharks” will demonstrate more than they did in their earlier four championship games in Doha now that the Olympic qualification has been secured.

MONTENEGRO – ROMANIA 12:9 (3:5, 4:2, 2:2, 3:1)

Doha – “Aspire home”. Spectators: 200. Judges: György Kun (Hungary), Alessandro Severo (Italy). Player advantages: Montenegro 7 (4), Romania 6 (3). Penalties: Montenegro 1 (1).

Montenegro: Lazović, Brguljan, Perković 3, Averka 3, Mačić 1, Popadić 1, Vidović, Ukropina 2, Spaić, Matković 1, V. Radović 1, Tešanović (13 saves), Vujović.

Romania: Cik (eight saves), Lutescu, Fulea 3, Vranceanu, Prioteasa, Cepelus 1, Oanca 1, Kolodrovski 1, Đorđesku 2, Vančik, Dragušin, Neamcu 1.