Women's handball in Montenegro, more than a sport

We are talking about women's handball, of course.

An excellent game and a draw of the Buducnost Women's Handball Club against the powerful Hungarian Đer, the club champion of Europe, could be enough reason for this text. The reasons, however, lie in the deeper roots of this sports problem.

Namely, although women's handball is the biggest Montenegrin brand, through which the planet learned more about us than through any other spiritual or production field, many did not respond to them in an adequate way. The undermining of this sport was started a few years ago in the Parliament of Montenegro by a political club that looks at the interests of "its" country from a cross-border point of view. The arguments were: the sponsor is the current government of DPS, and the main sponsor is Bemaks, a company with a tycoon's mortgage. The affair continued in the club and in the public regarding the case of member Milena Raičević. It culminated in Bemax's decision to deny the club sponsorship. And, finally, as a consequence of everything, came the shocking news from the club management that ŽRK Budućnost was shutting down, and that the players could leave without officially terminating the contract. With the "save yourself who can" system. That's what some players, and how important they are for the club, did. And so Buducnost was significantly weakened, precisely in the period when the process of creating a new, rejuvenated, promising team was taking place.

It is interesting and inexplicable to common sense, that the news about the shutdown, sent from the club, seemed relaxing, if not malicious... Nevertheless, a saving solution was found, the city of Podgorica took over the founding rights of ŽRK Budućnost. There will still be a lot of work to stabilize the wounded and shaken team.

(Remembering the unfavorable events in and around the Club can contribute to the interpretation of the final part of the text.)

After the current events in the club, changes also took place in the national team, some of which were announced earlier. A new coach was elected, Suzana Lazović, a former very successful player of both the club and the national team. The statements are full of enthusiasm and optimism, especially in the announcement of the selector (and coach) that by applying her handball philosophy, she will return the national team to the paths of old glory. (Truth be told, the Montenegrin national team did not even come off that track. The sports public still have fresh pictures from winning the bronze medal at the last European Championship, the first after 10 years. The absence from participation in the Olympic Games in Paris happened in a complex of special circumstances.)

Lazović has already made some significant moves. In addition to the standard national team members, she invited some new forces to the wider selection. And above all, Milena Raičević, a handball player from the inner circle of the golden generation of Lions 2912, is back in the national team. In addition, she is still in good shape. So far, everything is indisputable. There is also a serious - but. Raičević was an actor, willingly or unwillingly, of the extraordinary events in the club, mentioned at the beginning of the text, so the new selector has a serious task to fit her into a team with a very high quality composition and harmonious relationships. And to match her with alternatives at center back, also with excellent colleagues Itana Grvić and Mateo Pletikosić.

Be that as it may, even in the new circumstances, ŽRK Budućnost and the national team should legally be seen as one organism. The success of the national team has always largely depended and will depend on the state and results in Buducnosti. Non-sports events in the public have shaken the reputation of this country's sporting gem. The following situation is also an indicator: recently, at the last match in Morača, in the meeting with the most attractive opponent, Đero, there were barely six hundred fans out of a possible six thousand, which used to follow the clashes between the two teams. Only half as many faithful fans of Đer came. It will improve, they say, depending on the results. But, by God, and much more. Ask the organizing bodies of the Handball Association and the Club Management, what is their program "to return women's handball to the paths of old glory". It is already visible. It is a fortunate circumstance that the playing quality of the national team is such that it will not be a surprise if it achieves a good result at the next European Championship.

And whoever wants to be professionally or operationally involved in today's Montenegrin women's handball, will have something to offer him from numerous top handball players from decades of experience in this sport, with life experience and philosophy of the handball game. Among them are three current individual institutions:

- Joka (Jovanka Radičević), a world name in women's handball, with plans to expand this sport in Montenegro and discover talents, which she will hone later.

- Bojana (Popović), with the ability to develop the individual potential of each handball player and fit her into the game system. It is obvious that he is on his way to achieve the well-known level of his handball game in the coaching call as well. She also experienced the fame of the best on the planet.

- Kaća (Katarina Bulatoviić), transfers her great handball skills and experience to the Montenegrin handball system and helps cooperation on the international level.

- And the City of Podgorica will provide support in everything. Because the Future is now a member of his family.

If anywhere we can establish a common interest in the disputed Montenegro, it is culture (in the broadest sense) and sport.

Although it is likely that there will still be tension around Montenegrin women's handball, the favorable circumstance is that it is deeply rooted in our sport and in the fond memories of Montenegrin citizens, so it is logical to expect that it will continue on the path to the top of Olympus, as it was in 2012. year both in the national team and in the club Budućnost.

P. Radović is a TV author, publicist, author of documentary TV shows and newspaper articles about sports