After ten days of preparations in Futog, the Serbian women’s water polo team arrived in Budapest today and this week our water polo players will have several sparring matches with Hungarian clubs.
– In Budapest, we have quality sparring matches with Ferencváros and Újpest, and then a sparring match with the Szeged team. After that, a two-day intensive tactical and technical orientation is planned in Hódmezévásárhelyi, without sparring, so that we can fully focus on what comes next – entering the base preparations that we will continue in Futog – says Serbia’s coach, Miloš Bradić.
The national team gathered in Futog on December 5th.
– We started the first part of the preparations in Futog, where we wanted to lay a solid foundation for everything that awaits us in the coming weeks. The focus was on the players from the domestic league, but also on including them in the national team’s work system as quickly as possible and bringing them closer to the level of international players. At this stage, two players from American colleges joined us, Milica Zelić and Maja Dulić, as well as Maša and Elena Ćuk from Szeged. This allowed us to immediately work in realistic conditions, equalize the intensity and create a bridge between the domestic league and the high European standard. We used this initial part to check the form, physical fitness and adaptation of the players to the demands that will be even greater in the rest of the preparations .
Preparations in Budapest were continued by: Nikolina Travar, Maja Dulić, Nađa Kulić, Anja Švec, Jana Janković, Danica Balać, Nika Ratković, Milica Zelic, Tijana Lukić, Elena and Maša Ćuk, and in the capital of Hungary they were joined by: Jelena Vuković, Ana Milićević, Jelena Šarac, Hristina Ilić and Cecilia Diaz Mesa.
– The national team in Hungary is almost complete. Almost all the players who play abroad have joined, and we are only waiting for Nada Mandić and Jovana Radonjić, who will finish their club commitments after December 20th .
In addition to coach Bradić, the coaching staff includes assistant coaches Ivana Ćorović and Aleksandar Pavlović, fitness coach Prof. Milan Sikimić, physiotherapist Dragana Ivković, doctor Dr. David Marković, and women’s water polo coordinator Dragana Ivković.
– This camp, sparring sessions and the transition to the second level of work are extremely important so that in January, before the final preparations for the European Championship, we have a clear picture of where we are and what we still need to build. I am satisfied with the approach and energy that the girls have shown since day one. We are aware that we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I believe that we will perform in Portugal in the best possible way – concluded Bradić.
