Zoran Kovacic has spent the last few years shaping the future of Serbo-Montenegrin women's basketball, and the national team coach is hoping to see it come to fruition at the 2008 Olympics.

Although he is about to lead Serbia & Montenegro into the EuroBasket Women this week, Kovacic admits he has one eye on Beijing in three years' time where he feels the youth team players whose development he has been overseeing until recently will be reaching their peak.

"We want to qualify for the quarter-finals at the EuroBasket, but I would be very happy if we finish the competition among the five best teams, as those squads will play at the World Championship," said Kovacic.

"Still, our main goal is the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, when most of our current youngsters will be the new main weapons of the senior team," he added.

This summer Kovacic coached the U19s to silver at the World Championships while, in his position as the co-ordinator of all of Serbia & Montenegro women's youth teams, he also had a hand as the U18s won European gold in Budapest under the guidance of head coach Zeljko Vukicevic.

Following those successes, Kovacic was promoted to take over the full national team following the departure of Zoran Visic.

Although that only left him with less than a month to get his side ready, Kovacic is delighted with their progress ahead of the trip to Turkey, where they face the hosts in their opening EuroBasket match on September 2.

"In these final days before the start of the European Championship I can say that our work, atmosphere and camaraderie are at the highest level," he said.