On Monday, Montenegro’s water polo national team will begin their quest for Olympic qualification.

This marks their primary objective ahead of the World Championship, where the “sharks” aim to replicate their performance from twenty days ago at the European Championship in Croatia.

During the last competition, Vladimir Gojković’s squad reached the quarter-finals, which should suffice for a ticket to Paris in Doha—assuming there are no shocking results in the round of 16 groups, something quite rare in major water polo events.

Paris is a significant goal, but the Montenegrin water polo players also aim to demonstrate that their strong performances during the group stage at the European Championship (including a loss to Spain and a five-point win over Croatia) were not just a one-off but part of a consistent trend.

Consistency is vital in a challenging group featuring the United States, Serbia, and Japan, with the USA advancing straight to the quarter-finals and the second and third place teams battling for a spot among the top eight.

The USA will be the initial opponent (Monday at 15:30 local time), followed by a match against Serbia on Wednesday (8:30) and Japan on Friday (9:00).

The Montenegrin delegation has arrived in Doha, with just a little time remaining before the world championship kicks off.

“Our primary goal is to secure a spot in the Olympic Games. It will be a challenge given the strength of many teams, including our own group. However, we possess our own advantages, believe in our quality, and I’m confident we can maintain our streak of Olympic participation,” stated center Vladan Spaić from the “Sharks.”

Last year, the Americans defeated Montenegro in the World Championship match for seventh place in Fukuoka.

“They are a powerful team that has made significant strides recently. This generation is fantastic, coached by Dejan Udovicic, likely ranking among the top five or six in the world. They feature an excellent center in Hallok, skilled outside players, and a well-rounded squad. It will be tough; the outcome may hinge on minor details, but I’m hopeful for a favorable result,” added Spaić.

Stefan Vidović also acknowledges the formidable challenge posed by the “Yankees.”

“We find ourselves in an unusual situation with the World Cup commencing right after the European Championship. We haven’t had much training time, yet it’s the same for everyone. Our focus is on the opening game against the USA, an exceptional team led by Hallok, the current best center in the world,” said Vidović.

“To achieve our goals, winning the first match would be ideal, but our opponent is formidable. Never before have they fielded so many players in European clubs, which speaks volumes about the quality of the American team.”

Our water polo squad trained in Trebinje last week and will have sparring sessions against Romania in Bucharest starting Tuesday.

“I believe we utilized the time between these major competitions effectively. We are focused and eager to achieve our goal: to secure a place at the Olympic Games,” concluded Vidović.

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