In the realm of water polo, expect the unexpected, making the year 2024 a standout in sports history.

The three premier water polo events – the European Championship, the World Championship, and the Olympic Games – are all scheduled for the same year. This timing is influenced by the coronavirus pandemic, which necessitated the rescheduling of the World Cup, initially planned for 2021, first to 2022, and then to 2023.

Consequently, the water sports world championship in Doha, initially set for this year, has also been postponed to 2024.

If the Montenegrin water polo team secures their spots in all three events, they will kick off their “crazy” year on January 3, 2024, with the European Championship taking place in Netanya, Israel.

Just a month later, the World Championships in Doha are set for February 2, followed by the Olympic Games in Paris in July.

A silver lining for the “sharks” is the opportunity that lies ahead; if they fall short against the European champions, Croatia, in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday, they will still have additional chances to qualify for the Olympics.

The European Championship in Netanya offers only one ticket to Paris, while the World Cup in Doha provides four.

Prior to all that, they must strive for Doha, with four other leading teams joining Spain and Italy from Fukuoka. Finally, the last opportunity to qualify for the World Cup remains at the European Championships in Netanya, where four teams will gain access to Doha.

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