By chance, I ventured into commenting on water polo, which naturally led me to follow the remarkable journey of Petar Porobić. Even during his university years, when he prioritized graduating from the Faculty of Law over playing water polo.

Discussions about Petar can take many forms, yet when a great figure passes away—as he undoubtedly was—there’s often an air of gravitas. I will strive to express myself with clarity rather than excessive emotion in the following paragraphs.

Petar stood out as an exceptional mind—arguably the most brilliant intellect among prominent coaches. From my experience in sports, such intellect doesn’t always guarantee success.

Montenegro’s water polo has been our most successful sport over the last 70 or 80 years—ever since Stanišić’s giggles and Mir Ćirkovića… I’m referring to coaches, culminating with today’s leader, Vlad Gojković.

Petar belongs to that elite group of coaching legends—among the absolute finest (I have only named three here). His achievements include not just the gold medal in Málaga, but also his meticulously responsible approach to coaching. That gold medal symbolized the zenith of his career, a “short” one nonetheless—at just 40 years old.

He evolved over time and absorbed knowledge; those who knew him well understood that he could be somewhat reserved. In my experience meeting many coaches across various sports, he was one of the few who knew how to genuinely listen—to novices, experts, journalists, and fans alike…

This quality was intrinsic to him, exemplifying a wise approach: measure five times before making a cut.

As the years passed and he moved abroad, I firmly believed he shouldn’t have left; he should have remained firmly rooted within Montenegrin water polo. Delving into the reasons and circumstances now would lead us in circles.

In these times, Petar will remain a pivotal figure—a legacy unmatched, and his contributions will forever be remembered. His impact on water polo is indisputable. He nurtured many new coaches, but I specifically think of his golden generation from 2008. All of them today recognize that Petar endeavored to create better individuals from them all.

I particularly admired his forward-thinking mindset. Anyone who sought to understand him realized that he drew wisdom from many illustrious predecessors. Starting with Vlaho Orlića, the pioneer of Yugoslav modern water polo, to Nikola Stamenić, and Ratko Rudić, who brought him on as an assistant during his marathon of golden successes, rounded off by Nenad Manojlović.

Petar Porobić achieved his first significant international milestone in Montreal in 2005 with Serbia and Montenegro, winning gold at the World Championship alongside five members of our national team.

It seems fate had a hand in this, as Petar’s immense, well-rounded knowledge reached its peak just before our independence, materializing three years later with a gold medal in Málaga. Many believe it to be fortuitous, but that’s far from the truth.

In a relatively short span, Petar adeptly gathered, united, and mobilized the resources of Montenegrin water polo. This included both aquatic and off-water elements. Everything else is now part of history.

However, I must emphasize that during that competition, as a newcomer, no one managed to achieve what he did. Nor likely will anyone…

He was central to water polo—perhaps it’s improper for me to state this, but he sacrificed some familial time for the sport during those years.

It’s important to acknowledge that Málaga is not just a golden symbol for our water polo; it embodies Petar’s legacy. He was instrumental in ensuring that the sport continues to thrive at this level, maintaining a “production” line of new players and discovering fresh talents. Among these was Vlado Gojković, whom he envisioned as a future head coach. Speculating on the potential of a Porobić-Gojković tandem is futile now, especially since they only collaborated briefly at the European Championship in Belgrade 2016, where they won silver. Who knows what more they might have achieved? However, Petar’s heart ultimately gave way.

This doesn’t come as a surprise; for the last 25 years, Petar bore his dilemmas, frustrations, injustices, and ambitions quietly within. Nevertheless, he always maintained integrity in his dealings with everyone.

To summarize—he was truly one of a kind, so far unrivaled. We can lament that his vast knowledge has been dispersed globally in the last seven to eight years; we now recognize the void left in the wake of his departure from Montenegro. He has gone from here (Kotor – Herceg Novi) to eternal rest.

News