The performance of the judo team at the European Championships in Kazan showed something that was known before - Montenegro has the potential for great achievements, but in order to turn that potential into a result, enormous work and sacrifices are needed.
Four victories and placement in the round of XNUMX are not a result to be admired, but if you "scratch" the surface a little, there is no doubt that some good things happened at the championship of the Old Continent.
"They are all good fighters, talented, but for a top result they need to work incomparably harder than we are doing now. You can't get a top result with three or five training sessions a week."
"We need a system, we need a national training center where national team players will train three times a day, where we will build team spirit and expand the national team base. That way it will not happen that the personal interest of any competitor or parent comes before the national interest".
"For example, in the category up to 73 kilograms we have three good competitors, so everyone would get a chance to compete three times in tournaments, and then we would see who achieved the best result. If they are equal there, they would play three matches each, so we could still see who is better".
"I'm only interested in the mat and I'm responsible for that work. But everyone has to understand that we have to be a team first and foremost. That's the only way we can achieve results, and I'm sure that with such work our competitors would win medals at European championships, like the one in Kazan", said national team coach Hubert Rorauer.
Rorauer had a similar experience when he took charge of Israel's national team.
"In the beginning, there were only 10 fighters in the training center of the national team. After a year, there were 100 of them. We created a good team, built a system, the results of that work are visible even now. I hope it will be the same here".
On the scanner of the national coach, the performance in Kazan looks like this:
"Nikola Gardašević was the closest to advancing to the quarterfinals, he lacked a little experience to not get a penalty at the finish line. And when that happened and the match was decided by the golden point, he fell both physically and psychologically, because he was on the threshold of a great victory before. Exactly what I'm talking about - much more work - brings the quality that comes to the fore in such situations".
"Considering how much he trains, Danilo Pantić is extremely good and strong, but serious results are not achieved with one training session a day. If he trained as much as possible, I think he could conquer Europe".
"It's the same with Tanja Božović, who has a phenomenal technique, but lacks strength and self-confidence, because she also doesn't train enough. She also lacked a little luck in Kazan".
"Jovana Peković is excellent, young and brave, with what I'm talking about, she can go far. Nikola Gušić had problems before the championship, I think that psychologically he was not at the required level. He is a good fighter, and the same goes for him as for the others - maximum work and dedication can bring him a much better result".
"Srđan Mrvaljević was also unlucky, he defeated an opponent he lost to before, he gained confidence, but he only had 10 minutes until the next fight. If he was at least 15, I'm sure he would have passed the Moldovan".
"Marko Bubanja was unlucky at the draw and ran into the famous Greek Iliadis, and he is still a junior after all. However, I think that in a year he will be the right one, and I think that the category up to 90 kg is the best for him, that in -81 he would not be able to achieve a top result. Not even Iliadis is taller than him, and in the same category he won everything that could be won," concludes Rorauer.
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