Montenegrin Paralympians Filip Radović and Luka Bakić will be looking for form for a good performance at the Paralympic Games and attack for a medal in Paris during their preparations in Žabljak and Zrenjanin.
They are doing the basic part of the preparations in Žabljak, where they will stay until August 4, after which they will move to Zrenjanin, to the parent club Banat.
Radović and Bakić are among 14 table tennis players in the S10 category, who will perform in Paris.
Ten first-place finishers from the world ranking won direct placement, and after a three-year competition, Radović finished the qualification cycle in second place, and Bakić in seventh place.
Radović said that they have good conditions in Žabljak and that it is up to them to train and wait for the Paralympic Games as prepared as possible.
"We are doing the basic part of the preparations in Žabljak, together with sparring partners from Slovakia and Hungary. Some players from Serbia will come a little later. We are in Žabljak until August 4, after which we will move to Zrenjanin and our club Banat, where the final part is planned preparation," Radović told the MINA agency.
He emphasized that the dress rehearsal of the preparations will be a tournament in the Czech Republic, in regular competition.
"I hope that I will prepare as well as possible and that I will play at the highest level in Paris," said Radović.
Bakić, speaking about the preparatory period, said that it was very difficult, bearing in mind that it is an Olympic year, to find players for sparring in July.
"The players who will perform in Paris are already in operation, and other preparations for the next season will begin later, in August. We managed to secure quality sparring partners, a good team that works with us. We are satisfied with the work in training, we have good conditions, we use the gym, everything is as it should be," Bakić said.
Coach Vladimir Marić announced that Radović and Bakić in Žabljak have the support of two top Slovak table tennis players, Martin Guman and Adam Klajber, as well as the Montenegrin representative Filip Radulović.
The official world champion, Hungarian Aleksa Svitač, is also preparing with coach Ivan Viček.
Marić said that the national team in Žabljak is preparing for the most important competition in 2024.
"We have excellent conditions for work in Žabljak, the weather also serves us, so for now everything is ideal. We will be in Montenegro until August 4, after which we will move to Zrenjanin," said Marić.
He announced that in the second part of their preparations, starting on August 5, they will be working in Zrenjanin with Banat players, and the arrival of the Turkish Tugaj national team has also been announced.
The President of the Paralympic Committee, Igor Tomić, said that, during his visit to the national team, he witnessed the well-organized and well-designed first part of the preparations for the Games in Paris.
"In front of the Paralympic Committee, I want to say a big thank you to the Municipality of Žabljak, the Sports Center and the director of Zagorka Šljivančanin. At the same time, I would like to invite all our sports organizations, clubs and national teams to use the wealth that Žabljak offers in terms of sports," said Tomić.
Radović and Bakić will find out their rivals in the Paralympic tournament before the start of the tournament, at the technical meeting, where the draw will be held.
Radović, as the second seed of the tournament, will be free in the first round of the competition and will win a direct place in the quarterfinals.
Bakić will try to make it to the top eight through the round of 16.
Apart from table tennis players, the Montenegrin delegation in Paris will also include athlete Maja Rajković and archer Milan Đinović.
Montenegro has one medal from the Paralympic Games, Filip Radović's bronze, won three years ago in Tokyo.
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