Last weekend, the final of the 3×3 Podgorica 2k24 Quest Tour took place in Podgorica, Montenegro. The national championship reached a global level due to the participation of two Serbian teams ranked in the FIBA 3×3 top 5: Ub Huishan and Partizan Meta Force. Both teams arrived with non-starting lineups, but the participation of reserve players did not significantly affect the performance of the Serbian teams—Ub Huishan emerged victorious and secured a ticket to the Amsterdam Masters.
The final of the 3×3 Podgorica 2k24 Quest Tour was held in Montenegro’s capital from September 21-22, with 13 teams participating, including three international teams: Croatia’s 3×3 KA-BA Karlovac, Bosnia’s Banja Luka, and the Serbian teams Ub Huishan and Partizan Meta Force.
Organized by 3×3 Montenegro, the event attracted a large crowd, with packed stands and enthusiastic fans loudly supporting their favorite players, even during missed free throws.
The qualifying games took place on Saturday, narrowing down the 13 teams to quarterfinalists: Montenegrin teams GrafoMatex, Dežurni krivci, Podgorica Kodio, Vlasenica Pulena, and Veritas Dentis. Along with them, Ub Huishan, 3×3 KA-BA Karlovac, and Partizan Meta Force advanced to the second day of play.
Interestingly, the Serbian teams competed with their reserve squads. Partizan Meta Force, for instance, had part of their team playing in the Open 3×3 Dimitrovgrad tournament in Serbia.
Nevertheless, the Serbian teams performed well, with both making it to the semifinals, along with the Croatian and Montenegrin teams Podgorica Kodio. According to observers, all the teams in the semifinals faced strict refereeing, with many decisions sparking complaints from players.
In the end, Partizan Meta Force could not overcome the referees’ calls and lost to the Montenegrin team Podgorica Kodio, who advanced to the final to face Ub Huishan. Before this, the legendary Ub Huishan eliminated their Croatian rivals. If Partizan Meta Force had won, it could have led to an all-Serbian final, which would have seemed illogical for a Montenegrin tournament.
The final match between Podgorica Kodio and Ub Huishan was intense, filled with sharp moments from both the Montenegrin and Serbian sides. A significant portion of points were hard-earned, as both teams fought on equal footing. However, emotions ran high during the game, especially due to controversial referee decisions. Even Ub Huishan’s legendary player Strahinja Stojacic engaged in heated discussions with the referees over their calls.
In the end, with Podgorica Kodio just one point away from victory and Ub Huishan needing two points, Strahinja Stojacic forced his opponents into a foul, giving the Serbian team two free throws.
Despite the strong support from the crowd for Podgorica Kodio, Strahinja Stojacic made both free throws, and the Serbian team claimed the tournament victory.
Foto: Maxim Konankov/MetaForceArena
