It is known that water polo is the best Montenegrin sports product, with five medals from the biggest competitions, along with six awards from the world league, and the successes of younger selections.
And instead of it getting better year after year, it's just the opposite.
There are many problems, and the needs, as well as ambitions and expectations, are even greater.
The first problem of the most successful Montenegrin sport is banal.
Currently, there is no indoor pool in Boka Kotor, the birthplace of our water polo, because the one in Igalo has been left without a roof, and it has been five years since the Kotor one was out of action due to a combination of financial, bureaucratic and political interests.
"Few swimming pools, bad conditions, but this is something that does not depend on the water polo association, because the water polo association cannot build a pool, nor does it have the funds for it," said VPSCG president Đuro Marić to TV Vijesti.
The Olympic year has passed, but 2022 is even more competitive. The senior national team will play in the world and European championships, will perform in the World League, as well as in the FINA Cup, and international competitions also have younger selections.
"I think we are well covered in terms of organization and coaching, but the prerequisite for everything is to provide adequate financial resources to support it. If the competent authorities at the state level do not look at the real needs of Montenegrin water polo, and our sport in general, and do not find a way to help more, I think that in the long run we cannot be optimistic", says Marić, stressing that it is time to communicate realistically. condition:
"It's time to say honestly - we get a little funding from the state, it's not enough for us to keep water polo at the top level. If there is no understanding for that, then there is no need to do this sport either".
VPSCG received about 400 euros from the state budget, says Marić - in a year that included the Olympic Games, the World League and three major junior team competitions.
The difference compared to countries, water polo powers, from the environment is huge, he points out.
"Our resources are ridiculous compared to neighboring countries. Croatia received about 1,2-1,3 million from the Olympic Committee, through which state funds go, along with sponsorship contracts with companies controlled by the state. Serbia is at that level, if not at a higher level".
A third of the funds that the federation received from the state budget were spent only on younger selections, Marić points out.
"The costs for three selections - U15, U17 and U20 - this summer were close to 140 thousand euros for accommodation, travel, preparations. That's a third of the budget. For 2022, coach Gojković predicted 120-140 days of preparation for all categories, and all of that costs money. At the same time, our obligations and activities are the same as in Serbia, Croatia or Hungary. We play in all competitions like them, we have preparations, we travel and pay for hotels, and the difference in budgets is huge".
There are talents, says Marić. A gifted generation of players is coming, but talent is not enough at the time of maximum professionalism, so it's high time to change something...
"Montenegro sports lacks a strategic system of sports financing, long-term stability. It was like this before, or similar. How to achieve such stability, whether through games of chance, a certain percentage of the sale of oil derivatives - I don't know, I'm not the prime minister, but I know that if we have three or four times less resources than our competitors, we can't even match them ", says Marić and adds:
"Our clubs cannot be competitive, we cannot retain players, and at the same time our clubs cannot have quality work - it is, therefore, a problem that can affect the results of the national team, Paris 2024 will soon, and everything is closely connected. These are not wishes, but our needs. If we want to maintain the level of water polo as in previous years, we need more funds, of course, with adequately justified programs and absolute control of their outflow".
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