CSWC BY OLIVA CIGARS MONTENEGRO: KHANPARI NADIROVA MAKES HISTORY IN A THRILLING FINISH
- expertcigar
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
Montenegro witnessed its closest championship yet as a first-time competitor pushed the reigning field to the limit before Khanpari Nadirova became the country's first female CSWC champion.
The fourth edition of the CSWC by Oliva Cigars Montenegro took place at Casa De Puros in Podgorica, owned by Aleksandar Đuretić and Milica Popović. Hosted at their cigar lounge on 18. Jula Street, this year's championship - for what would become the most competitive Montenegrin qualifier so far.
Representing the CSWC organization was Dino Tomić, CSWC Marketing Director and General Manager of Club Mareva, who attended the event as the official representative.
One of the biggest stories of the day was Filip Milenković, the only first-time competitor in the field. Entering his very first CSWC competition, he immediately proved he belonged among the best, surprising everyone with a remarkable performance.
The overall level of smoking was noticeably higher than in previous years. While earlier Montenegrin championships often saw competitors extinguishing their cigars within the opening minutes, this year the first elimination didn't come until 46 minutes into the competition. The second competitor lasted 1 hour and 7 minutes, setting the stage for an intense battle that continued until the very end.
As always, every cigar behaved differently. Some competitors struggled with cigars that demanded constant attention, while others enjoyed easier burns. Interestingly, several smokers facing the more difficult cigars managed to outperform those whose cigars burned more comfortably—a reminder that patience, technique, and adaptability often matter more than luck.
For most of the competition, Stefan Lekić looked destined for victory. A passionate cigar sommelier fascinated not only by different blends but also by how cigars perform under demanding conditions, he consistently held the strongest position in the field.
Then came the competition's biggest surprise.
With nearly half of his cigar still remaining, Stefan suddenly raised his hand to signal that his cigar had gone out. When asked what had happened, his answer was simple: just a brief moment of lost concentration was enough to end what had looked like a championship-winning performance.
Third place eventually went to Zlatan Šabotić, who carefully managed his final moments. Approaching the cigar band, he chose not to risk disqualification and called his time at 1:25:13, securing a well-earned podium finish.
The championship ultimately came down to an unforgettable duel between experience and fresh talent.
On one side stood Filip Milenković, making his CSWC debut. On the other was Khanpari Nadirova, competing for the third time and determined to finally claim the national title.
As the final minutes unfolded, both cigars burned almost identically, each forming the difficult "U" shape that every experienced slow smoker knows well. Escaping the U-shaped burn can reward a competitor with valuable extra smoking time, while failing to do so forces a difficult decision: call time safely before reaching the band or attempt the risky tunneling technique.
Neither Filip nor Khanpari had ever successfully used the tunneling technique before. What followed was a tense battle measured in millimetres rather than minutes.
Khanpari managed to break free from the U-shaped burn and earned roughly another minute of smoking. Filip's cigar, however, continued burning directly toward the band. Unwilling to risk losing second place by accidentally burning the ring, he wisely stopped the clock at 1:37:00, an extraordinary result for a first-ever CSWC appearance.
Just 40 seconds later, after taking a few celebratory puffs, Khanpari also called time at 1:37:40.
With that performance, she not only claimed the title of CSWC by Oliva Cigars Montenegro Champion 2026, but also became the first woman in history to win the Montenegrin championship. She will now proudly represent Montenegro at the CSWC BY OLIVA Grand Finale, taking place in Dubrovnik from 28–30 August, where the world's best slow smokers will compete for the ultimate title.