From the special reporter "Vijesti"
The Montenegrin handball players completed their second training session in Tokyo, the Olympic rhythm is slowly catching on, the initial euphoria should already be replaced by peace and concentration on the matches and the opponents.
Five years ago in Rio, Andrea Klikovac felt the other side of the Olympic story, after the silver in London - the "lionesses" suffered five defeats in the group as vice-champions.
"We are leaving everything that was before behind us. This is a changed team, which will do its best to achieve much better results than five years ago", says Klikovac.
Her experience and that of Jovanka Radičević, Majda Mehmedović, Marina Rajčić and Đina Jauković, as well as the tandem on the bench Bojana Popović - Maja Savić, is very important for a team full of debutantes...
"Besides being five years older and more experienced, this is a familiar feeling for me, but the Games are special, because we are in a different composition, there is a different atmosphere, there are a lot of new faces. However, I would not say that they are inexperienced girls, because behind them are many big matches in the national team, in the Champions League. They are new to the Games, but they know what the big scene is, and we know each other well, we have been together for a long time...".
The European and world championships are held every four years, the Olympic Games every four years - there is a difference, however...
"Maybe it's not the same feeling as in other competitions, but when the fights start, they only think about the matches, forget everything else".
It is not forgotten, Andrea points out, that the colors of Montenegro are defended at every tournament...
"I played with girls from all over the world, the matches for the national team mean a lot to all of them, but believe me - no one feels like us. This is pure love, we don't play for Montenegro for money, for sponsors. We play because we love it and because it makes us proud", Klikovac points out.
There are still five days until the start of the Olympic tournament, Angola is waiting for Montenegro at the start, there are Japan and South Korea, along with Norway and the Netherlands...
"Each game will be difficult in its own way. Japan, Angola and Korea play less well-known racquetball, but we are at the Olympic Games, there is no one who suits whom, who doesn't - we have to play the best we can. I think that in those matches it's mostly all about us and how we will respond to the opponent at that moment", concludes Klikovac.
I was always the one who had to fit in
Andrea Klikovac has been a standard "lioness" since 2012, she has European gold from Belgrade, and she and Dijana Mugoša are the only members of the Olympic team who have never played in Budućnost.
"I chose the more difficult path, and I am very satisfied with what I achieved. I've been abroad my whole career, I've always been the one who has to fit in, but I've managed to fight for a place and a reputation, wherever I've played. That's a big deal," says Klikovac.
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