The goal is to return from Kazakhstan with a medal.

Since last year, Montenegro has officially been part of the phygital competition, a blend of e-sports and traditional sports that blurs the lines between the virtual and real court. However, for basketball players Marko Koljević i Bogdan Cebalović This is not a new experience. Namely, they have a year longer experience in this format, since the previous two seasons they played for the All Stars Balkan club, which represented Serbia at the Phygital basketball competition. Last year they reached fourth place, and this year, thanks to the victory in the domestic qualifiers that were held at the weekend on open courts in Bar with the Dangerous team, they will represent Montenegro at this competition in Kazakhstan.

This year, they were joined for the digital part by the best Montenegrin gamer in the video game NBA2K. Dejan Raicevic, who, unlike last year when he had to show his readiness on both the real and virtual field, this year had the role of providing the team with an advantage in the first part of the competition. As for whether the pressure was greater because he had to give his best in the digital part, Raičević tells "Vijesti":

"Last year showed us that some things need to be changed in order to achieve the best possible placement. Taking responsibility for the digital part naturally brings with it a certain amount of pressure and responsibility towards your teammates who directly depend on your performance. However, when you have two excellent basketball players behind you who are in charge of the physical part of the competition and who believe in you, it helps a lot," said Raičević honestly, who followed every digital match, analyzed the opposing teams, and that is exactly what helped them create tactics for each match and finish the tournament undefeated.

"Experience so far has shown that good tactical preparation is the key to winning games. During the tournament, all teams' strengths and weaknesses were identified, which we used to our advantage. As a result of all this, we have the fact that we received more than ten points out of a possible nineteen from only one team in the tournament," emphasizes Raičević.

He is one of the best players in Europe when it comes to the game NBA2k, but in 1v1 mode, and he reveals how he likes the 2v2 mode;

“Before Phygital Basketball came along, I hadn't played this 2v2 mode at all, and the last two years have been spent making adjustments that have finally paid off. While in 1v1 mode you are solely dependent on your decisions, this mode requires a high degree of coordination with your teammate, so that was one of the challenges at first. However, once you find that 'string' in the game, the feeling of satisfaction after a victory is much greater than in 1v1 mode.”

It is not yet known whether NBA2k or another basketball simulation will be played in Astana. If it changes, he says how difficult it will be for preparations:

"Personally, I would prefer to play this simulation that was in the qualifiers, because we are well-known for it. If there is another one, it will definitely make preparations more difficult because they have no similarities, but I am sure that we will not go to Astana unprepared," promises Raičević.

Unlike Raičević, for whom this is his first international experience in the phygital format, Koljević already has performances at major competitions behind him. He is ready to take on responsibility - whether it is the digital segment or the game under the hoop and to be a support for the team with his experience. As he points out, it was his previous performances on the big stage that brought him the security and calmness that will help them prepare as best as possible for the challenge in Kazakhstan.

"The experience is great, because we have been on the biggest stage twice with notable results and a piece of luck separated us from a medal. Two years ago in Russia we were fifth (lost in the shootout for the semi-finals), while last year in Abu Dhabi we reached fourth place, and the medal eluded us in the final because the defeat for third place came in the last seconds of the match, after a dramatic final that decided the winner. This is a huge experience that helped us win the tournament on our own field, in our own country, and we will proudly represent our Montenegro," says Koljević.

The Dangerous team was the only team to finish the tournament in Bar undefeated, demonstrating confidence in both the digital segment and the game under the basket. Although he has no doubt that he can meet the challenges of the physical game, Koljević admits that the advantage gained in the opening, virtual part makes the continuation significantly easier. When you enter the physical part with a plus, the pressure is much less, while chasing the difference brings additional tension and risk to the game.

"We have a top tournament behind us. We are grateful to our gamer Dejan Raičević for the incredible games throughout the day of the tournament, where he also prepared me to be of help in the digital part and we implemented all of his ideas. That made the 'work' on the court easier for me and Bogdan. Bogdan and I have been playing together for five or six years, both basketball and professional basketball, and it is precisely this long-standing coordination that has distinguished us as one of the most attractive and high-quality tandems in the Balkans," Koljević is certain, who was not a gamer before the phygital format, but the new discipline introduced him to the world of virtual matches and taught him how to be just as effective on the digital field as on the real court.

"For the last three years, as much as time allows, I've started playing NBA2k, because during that period I was preparing for this tournament. The organization is incredible, the previous tournaments in Russia and Abu Dhabi were organized at an excellent level, and an even greater spectacle is announced in Astana. The stakes are huge, so I was given the opportunity to take the controller at the age of 35 and give my maximum, in order to help the team and teammates achieve the best possible result," says Koljević.

It is increasingly being said that traditional sports are losing popularity because younger generations are more attracted to gaming than ball games. The Phygital format, which combines physical play and the digital segment, offers a bridge between these worlds. In this way, young people can get closer to traditional sports through play, while gamers get the opportunity to develop sports skills and interest in physical activity through the digital side.

"Unfortunately, there is less and less sports, especially among young people, which is evident in the leagues in Montenegro in all sports - basketball, handball, football, where players 30+ years old are still more sought after because young people do not have the will and desire for physical effort and the field. Phygital is therefore a good competition because one cannot do without the other and everyone must be physically fit to be able to engage in this sport and contribute in both disciplines, which is interesting for both the audience and the competitors themselves. After two outstanding results, our goal this year is to bring a medal to us and our country from these competitions, as well as financial benefits for the team because the prizes are in the millions," concludes Koljević.