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USA national team coach Dejan Udovicic: "We're preparing for Tokyo. Calendars to revisit: we need a league like NBA"

  Pubblicato il 20 Dic 2120  11:57
Tašmajdan Sports Center in Belgrade, January 2012.
The Serbian national team is preparing for the European championships in Eindhoven which would be played after a few weeks even if the goal for the Slavs is undoubtedly the conquest of the Olympic laurel.
Dejan Udovicic, head coach of the selection, at the arrival of his team gathers them and video projects the London Olympic gold medal on a maxi screen. "Here it is. When everything seems difficult, this image will remind you why you are working so hard."
An iron sergeant but at the same time a motivator, a tactician, a deep connoisseur of water polo.
Dejan Udovicic in his career with Serbia won the title of world champion (Rome 2009) and twice the European title in Belgrade in 2006 and, in fact, in Holland in 2012, leading his team to win the Olympic bronze after being beaten in English games right from the blue Settebello, in the semifinals. A career that began very young when with his twin brother Darko he joined the ranks of Partizan Belgrade in what is still considered among the best water polo schools in the world. After hanging the cap on the nail he was pushed, "the General" Nikola Stamenic convinced him, having the credentials, to pursue a career as a coach. A career studded with international and national successes at the helm of Partizan and Radnicki; this is why USA Waterpolo, in May 213, wanted him to lead the US water polo team, giving him the task of qualifying the stars and stripes selection at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics three years later. Mission accomplished for the Serbian coach who still leads the American national team and who, after winning two gold medals at the Pan American Games, is preparing for the Tokyo Games. With him we talked about the current moment in which water polo is living.
 
How is it going the work with USA national team in view of Tokyo 2021?
"I think everyone are pretty much in same  situation.We have prepared few different scenarios  and we will see depends of situation which one we will use."
 
How Coronavirus compromised the season and how USA waterpolo dealt with the pandemic situation?
"When pandemic start  we and Australia  were hit most, I believe. We did our best to secure our national team program and hopefully we will succeed . So, right now we have 90% of our players are playing. With that we are more then satisfied .At list they are currently in the same position like another players in Europe".
 
NCAA has it resumed its activities in the universities? Which protocols must be respected?
"We will see what’s gonna happen with NCAA season. I am always optimistic but final call is postpone already few times. I think that we should have more info in upcoming few days . If it’s happen I don't see too much games and restricted protocol to follow. PAC 12 teams are favorites as usual".
 
How do you think the sport stop of the last season will affect the various national teams at the Olympics?
"Don’t know thew answer on that question. Everyone is trying to do their best and we don't know what’s going behind scene in each national team. It’s long period ahead of us and we still don't know how things will play out. If we our talking about my team we are in difficult but not  in situation that we can't solve".
 
You are always in contact with your players who play in different countries. How do you monitor them?
"We have our usually routine. All staff is involving in process. Trainer, Medical staff, psychologist, video analyst. So far so good. Majority  of our players are in Greece so we can say that our new base in Athens. We did one camp in October, unfortunately after that tournament in Croatia was deleted".
 
Many people think that USA would be the main key to develop waterpolo. In USA there are a lot of marketing and communication professional. Do you believe about the possibility to create in the States a main championship (like NBA for Basket, for exemple) with sponsor, televisions, economics interests?
"We are doing a lot last couple of years in that direction. Some things we will be more visible in upcoming years.USA is not   alone island and I think that progress can be made in collaboration with FINA and LEN together. For that to happen international calendar should be revised. We need more understanding that we will be able to help more our lovely sport. I think that if you ask all non European countries you will have pretty much same answers." 
 
Talking about LEN Champions League. Are you following it?
"Of course, that I am following. There is a lot of competitive games so always you can find something new to see and learn.
It’s first time that there is possibility that USA will have 4 national players at the last stage at Champions league F8. That's great for them first and also is excellent for our team. I will be subjective, and i wanto to speak about Partizan. Hopefully with new group of  the people who are in charge  they will return to the top where it’s belong very soon".
 
What will be next commitment for Usa national team ?
"Our priority is Olympic games in Tokyo but we are also preparing ourselves for World championship in Fukuoka in 2022.
It’s coming very soon and we need to be ready".
 
Gianluca Leo

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