Austrian Linz will host the World Karate Championship from tomorrow until Sunday, where more than a thousand competitors are expected to participate.
Montenegro will be represented by 13 karateka, of which only Biserka Radulović will perform in kata.
Mario Hodžić (up to 67), Nemanja Brašanac (up to 75), Ljubiša Mihailović (up to 84) and Almir Cecunjanin (over 84 kilograms) will compete in the men's competition.
The men's team in the fights will consist of Mihailović, Cecunjanin, Brašanac, Vuk Šuković, Nikola Malović, Filip Vujadinović and Vuk Popović.
Ana Drašković (up to 55), Jelena Maksimović (up to 61), Marina Raković (up to 68) and Dragana Konjević (over 68) will compete in the women's competition.
Raković, Konjević, Maksimović and Drašković will compete in the team competition.
On the first day of competition, Ljubiša Mihailović (up to 84) and Almir Cecunjanin (over 84 kilograms), Marina Raković (up to 68) and Dragana Konjević (over 68) will compete on the mat, and Biserka Radulović will compete in kata.
The captain of the men's team, Almir Cecunjanin, said that he expects a good performance in an ever stronger competition.
"I'm ready, I feel good and I'm motivated to get the best possible result. I am especially glad that we are together again as a team. This is the strongest championship so far, I worked well and improved my form from competition to competition. I hope that I timed it and that I will show it tomorrow", said Cecunjanin to MINA agency.
He believes that the men's wrestling team also has a chance for a good performance in Linz, stating that it showed its quality in the preparatory tournaments.
The captain of the women's team, Marina Raković, said that the preparations went well and that they have never been more ready to expect a performance at a competition.
"I've been training hard, I hope I'll have some luck in the draw. We did the preparations superbly, it seems to me that we have never been better prepared. We participated in four preparatory tournaments and showed that we are ready in the competitive part as well. I hope that we will be lucky in the draw, and if that is the case, I believe that the result will not be missed", said Raković.
She has three European bronze medals, and she won the same award at the European Games in Baku
Bronze from this year's EP, Dragana Konjević believes that with a little luck in the draw, she can repeat the success from Montpellier.
"I will try to do my best in Linz, I hope luck will be on our side. We trained well, I am ready to welcome the start. I believe that with a little luck in the draw I can win a medal. I believe that we have a great chance in the team competition, we have been at the very top for years, but the medals somehow eluded us. I believe and hope that it won't happen now," Konjević said.
According to Ljubiša Mihailović, the competition has never been stronger, with never more registered competitors.
"I am aware of that, I know what awaits me and I was preparing for it. I don't care about luck and lot, I am concentrated and based on myself. I will do my best and if it really happens, I have something to hope for. I believe that the expectations of the team are not unrealistic. The atmosphere in the team is excellent, there is chemistry between us and that means a lot in a team competition. We are ready, we want to give our best and we will have something to show", said Mihailović.
The only representative in the katas, Biserka Radulović, said that despite minor health problems, she is ready to welcome the start of the WC.
"I expect the best, I believe in myself. I'm sure I'll give my best, and we'll see what it will be enough for. There is always strong competition in the floors. It's hard to get a medal at the EP, not at the WC. "The draw can look at us, we can get through a round or two, but for a medal we have to achieve 4-5 more big victories," said Radulović.
Montenegro has not had a world medal in the senior competition since independence, and the last one was won by Veselin Mićović and Slavenko Bajić in 1996 as part of the team.
The draw of competitors is scheduled for tonight, and the official measurement tomorrow.
The ceremonial opening of the championship is also scheduled for tonight.
The competitive part will start tomorrow with the performance in individual categories, followed by fights in the categories up to 68 and over 68 kilograms, respectively up to 84 and over 84 kilograms.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
