Although they were without six players who won bronze at the European Championship last year, including three starters and one first substitute, Montenegrin handball players won 26th place at the 7th World Championship.
This is a great success for the team, which at the start of the main round was without the best goalkeeper of the first phase, Marta Batinović, due to a serious injury, and an announcement that new medals are in front of the "lionesses". At the farewell match against Herning, the Czech Republic was defeated 28:24.
"The best thing is that we finished in this way and without any new injuries, which is very important for this generation. Today's match showed that the girls are ready even when it's difficult, when it's morning, and they all got a chance to feel the World Championship. I am very satisfied, everything was as it should be", said Bojana Popović.
The coach points out that it is too early to analyze the participation in the championship in the north of Europe, but she is satisfied with the results of her team.
"It is important that the team raised its level of play during the entire tournament, that it was right in difficult matches, that it was not known who would be the winner until the last minutes. The girls did their best, they deserve the praise and pride of everyone - us at the headquarters, the Federation, but also the whole of Montenegro. They deserved it, it was a great fight. Some players have spent a lot in their clubs, some are not in rhythm and form, but they all showed that they are the future of Montenegrin handball".
The Lionesses will play their next match on February 29 against Serbia in the qualifiers for the European Championship, three days later the second leg in Montenegro. It will only be a warm-up for April and the qualification for the Olympic Games, where the rivals will be Slovenia, Paraguay and the losers of the match Holland - Germany.
"When it's an Olympic year, there will be the World Cup, European and Olympic qualifiers, so the team will now be together more often. It's good, that something is being built and upgraded for what is most important, that's April," said the head coach.
During the corona period, Montenegro hosted the qualification for placement in Tokyo and passed in a group with Norway and Romania. Popović appeals for the tournament to be organized again in Podgorica.
"The most important thing is to see where the tournament will be, because the host always has an advantage. I hope that we will have the strength both as an Association and as a country to try to reach the goal together, that the qualifications will be in Montenegro. That would mean a lot to us, we know how important our audience is to us. I appeal to everyone who decides to think like us and give us support, to go into the project together", said Bojana Popović.
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