Radović: Continue with good results and crown the year in Paris

Montenegrin table tennis player Filip Radović said that his goal is to continue the continuity of good results in 2024 and crown it with a medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

In an interview with the MINA agency, he emphasized that it is not official yet, but that he has practically secured a performance at the Paralympic Games.

Bronzani from Tokyo explained that the second place in the ranking in the S10 category and the current points balance guarantee him a place at the Paralympic Games.

"The list closes on March 31, and then everything will definitely be known. Considering the number of points I won, I don't need to worry. I'm almost 100 points behind the third-placed in the ranking list, he should win two or more tournaments to overtake me. Performance in Paris it is almost guaranteed," said Radović.

He emphasized that he does not plan to participate in tournaments until March 31 and the closing of the list.

Radović said that the preparation plan for Paris has not yet been determined, but that it is certain that he will perform at the tournaments in Podgorica and Laško.

"We haven't exactly defined the plan and program yet, but it is certain that I will not perform at any tournament until March 31. It would be nice to perform at the Montenegro Open in Podgorica in May, in front of my audience. I plan to maybe play in Laško as well, because it's the biggest tournament, practically the World Championship, because it gathers all the best players in the world," said Radović.

Speaking about the previous year, he said that it was extremely successful and that he was particularly proud of the silver medal from the European Championship in Sheffield.

"I managed to win three extremely high-quality tournaments. The success gains significance if you bear in mind that it was a pre-Olympic year and that all players went to tournaments en masse to earn as many points as possible. In the end, I crowned the year with silver with the European Championship." , Radovic said.

He pointed out that he is particularly proud of that result because he managed to defend the vice-championship title from Helsingbog in 2019.

Commenting on the chances of teammate Luka Bakić to get a Paralympic visa, Radović said that it would be a miracle if he did not appear in Paris.

"Bakić is currently, if I'm not mistaken, the seventh player in the world and has a significant advantage over the eighth-ranked player. He will play in the tournament in Egypt, but that is not of great importance to him. Of course, he must show a good game and must not lose to some an outsider. It would be a real miracle if he doesn't win a direct placement in Paris," said Radović.

Speaking about the rivals in the S10 category, he said that the Polish Patrik Čojnovski is currently without competition.

"He is a world-class player, who realistically speaking has no competition in our category. There were matches in which I threatened him, but I haven't beaten him yet. In Tokyo, I was close to taking the match to the fifth set, but I didn't succeed because realistically in uncertain his quality comes to be expressed in the endings," said Radović.

Speaking about the cooperation with Vladimir Marić, he said that last year's results show that he is an excellent coach and that the choice for the coach of the national team turned out to be the right move.

"I worked at the club with Marić at the same time, so we knew who we were cooperating with. This year's results also showed that he is an excellent coach and that we have an excellent cooperation. I sincerely believe that in the coming period the results will be even better," he said. Radovic.

Recalling the beginning of his career and the historic medal from Vejle, he said that it was a big surprise at the time.

"At that time, there were many better players than me. My advantage was that I was relieved and that I played the championship without pressure. I went as an outsider, while other players had much more pressure," said Radović.

He recalled that a more significant result could not be anticipated, especially after the convincing defeat by the Czech Ivan Karabec.

"I lost the first set 11:1, and the match 3:0. As the tournament progressed, I improved my form and in that quarterfinal match I played perhaps the best match of my life up to that moment. That medal is really my greatest result," he said. Radovic.

He said that going to Uzdin turned out to be the right thing, stating that it was not easy for him or his family to decide on that move.

"I had excellent conditions in Uzdin, I was satisfied with the training and that led to the improvement in my game. After only eight months, the European medal came," said Radović.

Speaking about his career so far, he emphasized that he will never forget the success from Vale.

"First of all, no one expected a 15-year-old boy to achieve such a result. That result, although there were more significant ones after it, is unforgettable. All the other medals were already somewhat expected, and I am already going to be one of the favorites in future competitions ", said Radovic.

He pointed out that he also remembers two defeats at the world championships, in the quarterfinals against the Austrian Christian Gardos.

"In the first quarterfinal, in 2018 in Celje, at that moment he was a better player than me. And he beat me 3:0. I was very sorry, but now when I look back at the film I think it was fully deserved. Even harder I lost in 2022 in Granada, I lost to him again in the quarter-finals 3:1. I'm sure I was a slightly better player then, but again, as I say, it's a sport, the better ones don't always win," Radović said. .

Speaking of defeats, he recalled Tokyo and the surprising failure in the team part of the tournament against Nigeria.

"I hope it will never happen again. We managed to beat ourselves. We were absolute favorites, but we failed. It's the Paralympic Games, the result was expected, we were all convinced of victory, but the pressure took its toll." Radovic said.

He said that the pressure in sports is present, but that it is up to the athlete to deal with it.

"If you want a medal, then you have to win. You have to deal with both the pressure and the opponent," said Radović.

Commenting on Marijana Goranović's decision to end her career, Radović said that she is one of the most successful Paralympians, the initiator and for years the best promoter of the Paralympic movement in Montenegro.

"She is one of the athletes with whom the Paralympic movement was started in Montenegro, she trained and achieved results in difficult conditions, paving the way for us who came later. She supported us and was a wind at our backs. I am grateful to her for that and I sincerely congratulate her on her great sports career," said Radović.

He is officially the best Montenegrin athlete of 2023 in the selection of the Paralympic Committee, he has four individual and one team European medal in his career.

The silver was in Helsingborg in 2019 and Sheffield in 2023, and the bronze in the Danish Vejle in 2015 and Laško in 2017.

Together with Luka Bakić and Dejan Bašanović, he won the team bronze from Helsingborg, and he is the holder of the only Paralympic medal for Montenegro so far, the bronze from Tokyo in 2021.