Newly adopted rules, while met with some skepticism, are set to make their debut on the world stage…

The Water Polo World Cup commenced today, featuring the fresh regulations approved last November, which the “sharks” will experience in action for the first time tomorrow.

Montenegro is slated to face Greece in the opening match of Group B during the tournament taking place in Bucharest, scheduled for Tuesday at 15:30.

“The regulations have changed, and the pool dimensions are reduced – a challenge for both teams. It will be exciting to see which team adapts more effectively,” noted Vasilije Radović from the Romanian capital.

Key modifications include the pool size reduction from 30 to 25 meters, as well as a shortened attack time of 25 seconds, with a further 15 seconds for secondary actions.

Teams now have the option to field seven players simultaneously, with the roster size increased to 14 players available for selection.

A coaching challenge mechanism has also been introduced for specific situations, alongside a VAR system for referees.

This marks not only a new chapter in water polo but also a fresh beginning for our national team, where the renowned Dejan Savić will make his debut as coach.

“We had ten days to familiarize ourselves with the coach and for him to get to know us. We covered various tactical strategies and I believe we are prepared,” added Radović.

The Bucharest tournament holds no competitive stakes for Montenegro since our country will be hosting the Superfinal.

“We’re up against Greece, who has brought a strong team with them, missing only one player (Angelos Vlahopoulos). I’m eager to kick off the tournament – our team chemistry is outstanding, and I’m excited to see how it unfolds in the water,” expressed Radović.

A word from the debutant: We will showcase everything in the pool

Montenegro will feature two debutants at the Bucharest tournament – the sons of illustrious water polo players Nikola Janović and Vladimir Gojković – Srđan Janović from Primorac and Strahinja Gojković from Jadran m:tel.

“Meeting the new coach went exceptionally well, and the team chemistry is fantastic… I hope we’ll display everything we’ve worked on in the pool,” said Gojković.

Discussing their upcoming match against Greece, he stated, “It’s bound to be a challenging game, as Greece is among the world’s elite, but we’ll give our all and hope for the best,” concluded Gojković.

Sharks at the tournament in Bucharest

Tuesday

Montenegro – Greece (15:30)

Wednesday

Montenegro – Serbia (17:30)

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