The water polo national team of Montenegro is back in Kashiwazaki, where it stayed before the Olympic Games in Tokyo two years ago.
This time, the "sharks" in a small Japanese town are making final preparations before the World Championship, which begins on July 16 in Fukuoka.
Kindness, hospitality and good conditions for training brought the "sharks" back to the same place, and the residents of Kashivazaki welcomed the Montenegrin expedition with open arms and wide smiles.
"The host's attitude towards us is really exceptional, we have all possible attention, everyone wants to meet us. We thanked them at the dinner with our host, Mr. Sekija Takaši, and gave them symbolic gifts in order to repay them as much as possible for everything they provide us", said selector Vladimir Gojković.
Our best water polo players have been in Japan since Friday, and they will be accompanied, just like two years ago, by the selection of Serbia, with whom they will play a sparring match in two days.
"We are still adjusting to the time difference and the long journey, but I think it is going well and we reacted well. We are training according to plan, we have started the final preparations", says Vlado Popadić.
There is not much time to adjust, the first match is next Monday, against South Africa. It will be the only game in which the "sharks" have the status of big favorites, but in the next two, in the group stage, the rivals are dangerous - Serbia, and especially Spain, which is perhaps the biggest candidate for the title.
"We go match by match. We are the absolute favorites against South Africa, we will practice some tactical ideas in that match, and then we will have big games, against Spain and Serbia, for a place in the quarter-finals", said Popadić.
The winner of the group goes directly to the quarter-finals of the World Championship, while the second-placed and third-placed teams play for a place among the top eight.
Teams from group D, which includes Montenegro, meet teams from group C, which includes Hungary, Croatia, Japan and Argentina.
Bonus video:
