Twenty years since the restoration of Montenegro's independence opens up space for a serious, unvarnished look at one of the most sensitive segments of society - sports.
Although individual successes and medals are often highlighted in public as proof of progress, a deeper analysis shows that Montenegro still does not have a functional and sustainable sports system in place, but rather a set of partial solutions that depend on current political and budgetary decisions.
SPORTS FINANCING - A SYSTEM WITHOUT STABILITY
The main problem starts with funding. About 0,20% of the budget is allocated for national sports federations, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and the Paralympic Committee - which is among the lowest allocations in the region and clearly insufficient for the normal functioning of national teams.
An even bigger problem than the amount itself is the way in which funding is treated. Instead of sports being a stable, planned and developed category, it has been presented for years as political capital - through the narrative "this government allocated the most". This reduces sports to a statistic of political mandates, rather than a long-term public interest.
The idea of a fixed percentage of allocations for sports is constantly mentioned, but never develops into a systemic solution. This is precisely where the key problem lies: without a legally guaranteed and stable financing model, sports remain hostage to budgetary oscillations and political priorities.
Sport has often been the subject of political subterfuge within the executive branch. The Ministry of Sports has not always been a separate government department - it has vacillated between being abolished and demoted to the rank of the Sports Administration, to being merged with several areas (education, culture...), apparently in accordance with the political moment and needs.
Montenegro is symbolically entering the 20th year since the restoration of independence without a Minister of Sports - the position has been vacant for five months.
A STRATEGY THAT EXISTS - BUT DOESN'T WORK
The issue of strategy is directly related to funding. On paper, there are categorizations of sports and rulebooks that rank disciplines by results, mass participation, and importance. However, in practice, this often remains a dead letter.
Even when associations from the highest categories receive greater funding, this does not mean that their needs are covered - preparations, travel, professional work and competitions still depend on additional improvisations.
What is missing is a clear, bold and realistic strategy: the state must define which teams and sports have the greatest potential for international success and concentrate resources there. For a small country like Montenegro, wasting resources on a large number of “potential projects” essentially means giving up on top sporting performance.
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Examples from Europe show a different approach. The Faroe Islands, for example, have recognized handball as a strategic sport and built a system around it that brings results and visibility. Montenegro lacks such a model of selective investment.
In this sense, sports such as water polo and women's handball have already proven to be internationally successful. But this is where a new obligation arises: if these sports are defined as priorities, then they must receive greater funding, but also stricter accountability, better organization and measurable results not only on the biggest stages, but also in the development of young categories.
INFRASTRUCTURE - A SYSTEMIC WEAKNESS THAT LASTS FOR DECADES
Perhaps the most visible symbol of the system's absence is infrastructure. It sounds incredible that Montenegro still does not have a completed national stadium in 2026, that certain projects such as the stadium in Cetinje have been under construction for almost a decade, that the eastern stand of the City Stadium in Podgorica is being built like "Shkodar on the Bojana", and that the country does not have a stadium that fully meets international standards.
The largest hall in the country is almost half a century old and has long required not only reconstruction, but also a serious revision of safety and technical conditions. At the same time, the number of indoor swimming pools that can accommodate international competitions is minimal, and school sports halls are largely dilapidated.
Without a serious investment plan and professional project management, this problem will only deepen. Infrastructure is not an aesthetic issue, but the foundation of any sports system - without it there is no development, no results.
SPORTS LAW - A FRAMEWORK THAT DOES NOT FOLLOW REALITY
The 2018 Sports Law, as amended in 2021, has largely lost touch with the reality on the ground. Instead of being a development framework, it has in practice created additional administrative and organizational problems for federations and clubs.
Of particular concern is the fact that the new draft law has not yet been presented to the public, although its need has been discussed for years. This indicates institutional inertia and insufficient coordination of key stakeholders in the sports system - primarily the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Montenegro and sports umbrella organizations (COK, national federations).
Without a modern legal framework that clearly defines roles, responsibilities, and funding models, it is difficult to talk about serious sports reform.
SPORTS CULTURE - UNDEVELOPED RELATIONSHIP TOWARDS THE NATIONAL TEAM
Perhaps the most invisible, but in the long term the most important problem is sports culture. In the past two decades, a stable system of public education about the importance of sports, national teams, and the real achievements of a small country on the international stage has not been developed.
The public is dominated by an approach in which success is measured solely by medals, while qualifying for major competitions, competing against stronger teams, or winning a difficult group are often not recognized as valuable.
Such an attitude creates pressure on athletes and national teams, but also false expectations among the public. Cheering becomes conditional - present only when the team is winning, instead of being a constant support for the national team, regardless of the result.
Examples like the fans from the Faroe Islands, who celebrate even minimal successes of their national team as historic, show how important the value system is, not just the result.
In this context, every appearance of Montenegro on the European, world or Olympic stage must be seen as a success in itself. Because for small countries, competition is often unequal, and entry into elite competition is the result of long-term work.
CONCLUSION - SPORT WITHOUT A SYSTEM REMAINS THE SUM OF INDIVIDUAL SUCCESSIONS
Twenty years after the restoration of independence, sport in Montenegro still functions as a sum of talents, individual generations, and occasional successes, rather than as a stable system.
Without a change in funding, a clear strategy, serious infrastructure, modern legislation, and a developed sports culture, it is difficult to expect long-term progress.
Sport cannot be a topic of political marketing or occasional inspiration - it must become a permanent state policy. Otherwise, Montenegro will continue to depend on individual successes, instead of the system that produces them.
Montenegrin sports between talent and improvisation: Lack of strategy, unstable financing and decades of infrastructure problems show that Montenegro has not yet built a sustainable sports system
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