A little over eight months have passed since Nikola Milić took over as president of the Water Polo Federation of Montenegro.
Summing up what has been done, Milić said in an interview with "Vijesti" that financial stability for the first year of his term has been largely ensured, and that plans for the future are ambitious, requiring the unity of the entire water polo community, sports institutions, and the Government's commitment to investing in sports.
- I am very honored to have been given the opportunity to contribute to the sport that I consider the national symbol of Montenegro. Although the field was new to me in many ways, I felt a great responsibility and emotional connection, because I played water polo as a young man. Thanks to that love, as well as experience from the business world, I was given the opportunity to be in this position, with a huge desire to help develop our water polo - says Milić, who reminded that the first step was the formation of the Board of Directors, which will ensure the financial security of the Federation.
This was followed by the formation of expert councils for water polo and swimming, the appointment of selectors, the expert staff of the A selection, the coordinator for the younger selections, as well as the expert staffs of the younger selections.
- We have done a lot of good in a short period of time. In a time when all costs are rising, the most important task was to provide optimal conditions for the work of all selections. It was an honor for everyone in the association to meet all the modest demands of the selectors of our best team and all the younger selections. I believe that we have fully succeeded in this and I hope that our dedicated work will be rewarded with results.
Milić says he took over the Federation with a small team and without major financial burdens, but also with problems.
- I found, through no fault of my own, strange relations between our two most trophy-winning and best clubs. I am a child of Primorac, it is the club that I carry in my heart, the club where I grew up and formed as a person. On the other hand, I started my business journey in Herceg Novi, my children are growing up in that city, I also spent time in the Adriatic, so I can perhaps see the bigger picture. But, I could not influence that situation, because there are stories that some distributions were planned before my candidacy, which, I am very proud of, was supported by seven out of nine Montenegrin clubs for which I was a candidate.
Despite that, he says, cooperation with the clubs is good.
- Sometimes it's two-way, sometimes it's one-way. We try to always have it be two-way, but sometimes the political mindset is at a higher level than it should be. However, challenges make us stronger and better, and the VPSCG is open to everyone and ready to find the best measure in the interest of Montenegrin water polo. Every individual and every club bears an equal amount of responsibility on the path that Montenegrin water polo should take.
Milić says he is particularly pleased that the entire water polo community shares the same view - that water polo should be given the status of a national sport.
- Water polo is the brand of Montenegro. A survey by the IPSOS agency showed that Montenegrin citizens consider it a national sport, which shows that water polo is followed throughout the country, even though it is played in a small area. Sharing the position of our entire water polo family, the initiative was launched through discussions with the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Sports and the Montenegrin Olympic Committee. I think that we should work on creating a category of national sport within the Sports Law, and water polo deserves to be one. In this way, we would ensure the stability of both the federation and all clubs. Whether the relations with institutions are strong enough, we will see based on the support for this desire and aspiration. It would be a success for all three institutions, because only in this way would we appreciate what water polo has given to Montenegro, and show a willingness to help water polo promote and elevate our country on the biggest sports stages in the future in the best and most beautiful way. On the other hand, I believe that handball also deserves this status, especially because of the great results of our women's team. In any case, I believe that this is a justified initiative, which also requires clear criteria - how to obtain and, possibly, lose that status - Milić emphasizes.
The status that water polo has on the Montenegrin sports scene has been recognized by the business community.
- Sponsors are interested in being partners with the VPSCG, through their budgets for socially responsible activities. This is the result of the work in the previous period, as well as the reputation I have gained through the work I do, because I have found a helping hand to everyone I have approached. Everyone is ready to help and support the project in the next four years, in this Olympic cycle. I hope that we will justify their trust, with the results we will achieve in the coming period.
The first major competition in the current cycle is the World Cup, which begins on July 12. The “Sharks” will play against Greece, Croatia and China in the group stage in Singapore.
- First of all, I want our boys to represent Montenegro, themselves and their families with dignity. It is normal to hope for a medal, but we have to be realistic - we have a small senior base, from three coastal towns, and long-standing infrastructure problems, first in Kotor, which has been without a swimming pool for a long time, and now in Herceg Novi, which has not had an indoor swimming pool for four years. We must have dreams adorned with medals, but we must not be so critical if they do not come true now. This is one competition in a series, and our selection is one of the youngest. We want to relieve the young boys of any imperatives, to allow them to represent our country with maximum energy, a big heart and love. At the very least, they will come out with new experience, and that experience is a step on the path to a medal - whether now, whether at the European Championship next year, I do not know, but I have no doubt that that day will come very soon.
Milić recalls that all three junior teams played in the semifinals of major competitions last summer, and two won medals.
- This shows that the future of our water polo is bright. This summer started with the U20 team placing among the top eight at the World Championship, which is a solid result, because we were the only selection that was not in full formation. The European Championship U16 selection follows, from which we have high expectations, because this generation shows that the base is expanding - we have young men from Podgorica, in addition to, traditionally, players from Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi.
One of the key goals of the Federation is to expand the base and strengthen the domestic championship.
- We are working on forming a senior team in Nikšić so that we can have six clubs in the championship. An important part of our work is also the education of children - I believe that swimming must be an integral part of growing up and education - Milić concludes.
Dreams of a national water polo center
Infrastructure is a special topic in the conversation with Nikola Milić, president of the Water Polo and Swimming Federation of Montenegro.
- The budget revision includes an item for the closure of the Olympic outdoor pool in Podgorica, which would allow us to nominate Montenegro to host the 2028 European Championship. A competition has been announced in Bar for the main project of the Olympic pool, and the Olympic pool in Herceg Novi has been nominated for the capital budget. We are also trying to activate the existing contract for the renovation of the sports block of the Igalo Institute, which, together with the pool, should be an integral part of the future primary school in Igalo, and therefore it would be the first primary school with an indoor pool and I believe a bright spot in the standards of the future direction of education and physical education. The fact that water polo is followed and loved in all parts of Montenegro must motivate us all to create conditions for swimming and water polo in every city. That is our mission.
Milić also dreams of a national water polo camp, citing Spain as an example.
- This could perhaps be a project in Radanovići, which symbolically connects four coastal towns. This is definitely a very important topic and item that we will deal with in this mandate, aware that without quality infrastructure we cannot expand the base, and without a base we cannot compete with the great water polo powers - Milić concluded.
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