Podgorica was not in the plans for a long time, but political pressure from Croatia took its toll - the capital of Montenegro will organize the final tournament of the World Cup, ending the uncertainty that lasted for the last ten days after the neighbors decided not to play at the Kotor "Zoran-Džimi Gopčević" swimming pool, even "at the cost of being disqualified by World Aquatics".
Whether it was a bluff by the Croatian side or simply an intention to show "who's who" - that's not the topic now, the fact is that Kotor and Budva (who were planned as organizers) lost the hosting of the Superfinal, which is scheduled for April 11th to 13th.
"We wanted to be hosts where the roots of our water polo lie, where water polo is both a sport and a lifestyle, where the cult of the national team was created, nurtured and spread - on our coast, in Kotor and Budva.
However, we are of the opinion that all national teams that have qualified should be part of this sporting spectacle and that circumstances that have nothing to do with sports do not affect or diminish the importance of this competition," the Water Polo and Swimming Federation of Montenegro announced.
There's not much to say here - the two federations, both Montenegrin and Croatian, were and remain hostages of politics because the Croatian government had previously recommended that its clubs and national teams not play in the Kotor pool. The reason? Because it bears the name of Zoran Gopčević, a water polo legend whom the Croatian side accuses of war crimes in the Morinj camp.
The swimming pool was previously called "Nikša Bućin", and the idea of naming it after Džimi did not come about by chance; it was also supported by the people of Kotor who identify as Croats.
But suddenly it became controversial, the authorities of one country raised their voices and made a rather noisy recommendation, while the authorities of our country took the line of least resistance and publicly advised the Supreme Court of Montenegro to find a solution and move the finale to Podgorica.
"This was the only alternative if we take into account the fact that Herceg Novi still does not have an indoor swimming pool, that there are not enough adequate hotel capacities in Nikšić that can meet the standards of such a competition, and that the swimming pool in Budva does not meet the requirements on its own," say the VPSCG.
It's not difficult to move a tournament from one city to another, it happens at a higher level and in more popular sports, but the worst thing in the whole story is playing with the name of Džimije Gopčević, a water polo player who made Kotor, the sports capital of Montenegro, proud...
Our Association offers assistance, emphasizing that they want to participate in solving the problem with the Kotor basin, but it remains clear to everyone that the only authorities in Montenegro and Croatia are responsible for this.
"We express our great desire and readiness to participate in the sports framework to resolve the controversial issue of the Kotor swimming pool as soon as possible, so that our sport can once again unite and overcome all divisions and misunderstandings. The extent to which the unity of the water polo family is taken into account, and the extent to which the relations between the two Federations are at an excellent level, is best evidenced, first of all, by the multi-year Regional League competition in which clubs from Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia participate," the Water Polo and Swimming Federation added.
That's it, Montenegro will play Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Podgorica's “Morača” pool on April 11th and will continue the fight for a place in the World Championship. The “Barracudas”, the current world champions and Olympic vice-champions, were worried about the trip to Singapore last year.
In addition to the "Sharks" and Croatia, Hungary, Spain, Greece, Japan, Germany and the Netherlands are also participating in the final tournament. Three tickets to the World Cup are awarded in the Superfinal.
"Unfortunately, this situation once again reminds us of the infrastructural conditions in which water polo functions and lives, which, according to all its achievements, should be declared our national sport. We firmly believe that with the help of the Government of Montenegro, which we thank for understanding the situation and for supporting us in organizing such a major competition in our country, we will succeed in doing everything necessary in a short time and for our national team to qualify for the World Championship from home and with the help of the fans," the VPSCG announcement concludes.
We wanted to host the event where the roots of our water polo lie, where water polo is both a sport and a lifestyle, where the cult of the national team was created, nurtured and spread - on our coast, in Kotor and Budva. However, we believe that all national teams that have qualified should be part of this sporting spectacle and that circumstances that have nothing to do with sport do not affect or diminish the importance of this competition - the Water Polo and Swimming Federation of Montenegro announced.
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