Captain Mršić aims for a strong beginning, while Vujović seeks a series of victories.
Our youthful national team in training in Bucharest, Photo: VPSCG
Beginning tomorrow, Bucharest and the nearby city of Otopeni will host the World Championship for water polo players under the age of 20, a tournament where young talent will strive for their dreams.
Yesterday, our junior national team arrived in Romania’s capital, gearing up for their opening match against Spain tomorrow (Saturday, 12:30 PM) in one of the three derbies of Group A.
“The conditions in Bucharest appear to be fantastic at first glance—we aim to kick off this championship with the best possible performance,” stated the captain of Montenegro, Marko Mršić, from Bucharest.
Center Jovan Vujović believes Spain won’t be strangers to them.
“We faced them last year as well, and we’ve recently analyzed their gameplay. We expect a challenging match, but are confident of our chances to win—just like in all other group matches,” Vujović asserted.
Coach Petar Radanović’s team has been training hard, but everything should align once the games begin—besides Spain, their competitors will include Croatia and Italy.
“Before the World Cup, we had a grueling tournament in Belgrade where we played two games in one day, which took a toll on us. However, we did pinpoint several aspects for improvement from that tournament,” added Mršić.
This year’s championship features a slightly unusual structure, with 20 national teams participating. The top eight ranked teams (including Montenegro) will compete in Groups A and B, while the other teams will be divided into groups of three (C, D, E, and F).
Montenegro finds itself in Group A, while Group B includes teams from Greece, Serbia, the USA, and Hungary.
Group C contains Canada, Japan, and South Africa, Group D features Brazil, China, and Kazakhstan, Group E includes New Zealand, Peru, and Romania, while Group F has Iran, Australia, and Argentina.
The two top teams from Groups A and B will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth-placed teams from Groups A and B will face off against teams from Groups C, D, E, and F for a chance to reach the top eight.
MONTENEGRO SCHEDULE
Saturday
12:30 PM Spain – Montenegro
Sunday
6:30 PM Montenegro – Croatia
Monday
2:00 PM Italy – Montenegro
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