President Milanović: We are a small country but we can be powerful in sports
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended a proclamation ceremony of the best athletes of the City of Zagreb for 2024 organized by the Sportski savez Grada Zagreba (Sports Association of the City of Zagreb).
He congratulated the award winners, the best athletes, coaches and clubs of Zagreb on their successes, which he said filled him with awe. “All of this tonight, for the umpteenth time, inspires deep respect because I have always come close, but never up to par and I have not tried hard enough or maybe I did not have the talent. But, sport has been immensely important in my life,” the President noted.
“I want the system to follow you at every step of the way and for it all to be one small but powerful machine. We are a small country, but we can be powerful,” President Milanović concluded. At the ceremony to proclaim the most successful athletes of the City of Zagreb, being held for the 48th time this year, he personally presented the award for the best sports crew – Martin and Valent Sinković, Olympic winners in the coxless pair rowing event.
Annual awards of the Sportski savez Grada Zagreba for excellent results and sports activity were presented to: Antonia Šćepanović and Noa Lilih, Ante Vukičević, Luka Bukić, Karate klub Hercegovina – Zagreb and Suzana Šop. A lifetime achievement award was presented to: Aleksa Kocijan, Branko Milinković, Martin-Tino Časl, Sesvete Wrestling Club and the Školski sportski savez Grada Zagreba.
Special recognitions to the best coaches were presented to the fitness coach of the silver medal water-polo national team at the Paris Olympic Games; Pero Kuterovac, coach of bronze Olympic medal winner Sandre Elkasević, Edis Elkasević; coach of the gold medal Paralympic winner Anđela Mužinić Vincetić, Mirela Šikoronja Ivančin, and coach of Valent and Martin Sinković, Nikola Bralić. A special award was conferred on the director of the Zagreb Handball Team, Vedran Šupuković.
Bogdan Božinović was proclaimed the best male deaf athlete, and the best female deaf athlete was Lana Skeledžija. The best male para-athlete is Ivan Katanušić, and the best female para-athlete is Anđela Mužinić Vincetić, the best women’s team is HAOK MLADOST and the best men’s team is GNK Dinamo. The best male athlete is Ivan Bertić, and the best female athlete is Sandra Elkasević.
Speaking at the ceremony in addition to President Milanović were the president of the Sports Association of the City of Zagreb Vjekoslav Šafranić and the mayor of Zagreb Tomislav Tomašević.
Accompanying President Milanović was the Commissioner to the President for Sports Tomislav Paškavlin.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek