President Milanović Decorates Athletes and Tells Them: Be a role model and inspiration, so that the best do not leave Croatia

“I congratulate you on your persistence, effort, courage and ambition, because without ambition, without an aspirational spirit, there is no movement, no progress and no success, no happy, rich and independent country,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović told the athletes, team managers and coaches upon whom he bestowed decorations for their sports achievements.

“I hope that these awards mean a lot to you and that you take them as seriously as I do. This is not a small thing. This is a gesture of the country, which in this case is represented by me, as the President of the Republic, and the commission,” President Milanović said in his address at the awards ceremony.

“Throughout history, the best, most literate and most educated people left Croatia. In order for this not to happen in the future and in order for it to happen as little as possible, so that the best stay here and you serve as a role model and an inspiration to them, I once again congratulate you on your success and wish you good health,” President Milanović concluded.

For extraordinary sports achievements in long-distance swimming and her yearslong promotion of sports values in the Republic of Croatia and abroad, Dina Levačić was decorated with the Order of the Croatian Star with the effigy of Franjo Bučar. She is the first Croatian woman to swim across all seven major world channels, known as the “Ocean’s 7” undertaking, and the first Croatian woman to win the original Triple Crown by swimming across the Bristol Channel, the North Channel and the English Channel.

For extraordinary sports success and medals won at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, and for promoting sports and Croatia’s standing in the world, the Order of the Croatian Star with the effigy of Franjo Bučar was bestowed upon Paralympian Ivan Katanušić, Paralympian Deni Černi, Olympian Toni Kanaet and Paralympian Dino Sinovčić.

Likewise, for extraordinary contributions to sports successes of Croatian athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 and for promoting sports and Croatia’s standing in the world, team managers and coaches were also decorated with the Order of the Croatian Star with the effigy of Franjo Bučar: Paralympic coach Ivan Čengić, Olympic coach Jozo Jakelić, Paralympic coach Mirela Šikoronja Ivančin, Olympic team manager Srećko Šuk and Paralympic coach Danial Temim.

For extraordinary contributions to sports successes of Croatian athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, and for promoting sports and Croatia’s standing in the world, athletes, coaches and team managers were decorated with the Order of the Croatian Interlace: Paralympic coach Slobodan Glavčić, team manager of the Paralympic table tennis team Emil Gubica, Paralympic coach Boris Kljajić, Paralympic coach Krešo Kovač, team manager of the Olympic tennis team Vedran Martić and Paralympic coach Mladen Tomić.

For extraordinary achievements in martial arts and special merits in the sport and its promotion at home and abroad, Zoran Cicvara was decorated with the Order of the Croatian Interlace.

For extraordinary sports success and medals won at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, and for promoting sports and Croatia’s standing in the world, the Charters of the Republic of Croatia were bestowed upon Olympians Martin and Valent Sinković, Paralympian Ivan Mikulić, Olympian Tonči Stipanović, Paralympian Velimir Šandor, Paralympians Helena Dretar Karić and Anđela Mužinić Vincetić, Olympian Damir Martin and Paralympian Mikela Ristoski.

For extraordinary contributions to sports successes of Croatian athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, and for promoting sports and Croatia’s standing in the world, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia was presented to Olympic coach Nikola Bralić, and the Croatian Athletic Federation of Persons with Disabilities was awarded the Charter of the Republic of Croatia for extraordinary achievements in the promotion, encouragement and development of athletics for persons with disabilities, and for achieving top sports results at home and abroad. The Charter was accepted by the President of the Croatian Athletic Federation of Persons with Disabilities Tomislav Krističević.

Ivan Katanušić, the Croatian Paralympic and silver medallist and member of the discus throw national team at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, expressed gratitude on behalf of all the Paralympians and their coaches for the awards. He said that the awards presented to them are not just a contribution to their top results, but also serve as motivation for further results and training. “Our beautiful homeland may be geographically small, but our athletes beat much bigger countries on the battleground,” he said.

Member of the Split taekwondo club “Marijan” and a bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics Toni Kanaet said in his remarks that it is a great honour for all athletes to perform at the Olympics and defend the colours of their homeland. “It is the dream of every athlete and this award is a reward for our effort, work and sacrifices, but also an incentive for further challenges that await us. I hope that we will continue to win great medals and make Croatia proud,” said Croatian Olympian Toni Kanaet.

Apart from Croatian athletes, team managers, coaches and family members of those who were decorated, also attending the ceremony in the Office of the President were the President of the Commission for Civil Awards and Recognitions and President of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts Academician Velimir Neidhardt, member of the Commission for Civil Awards and Recognitions and President of the Croatian Paralympic Committee Ratko Kovačić, member of the Commission for Civil Awards and Recognitions and Vice President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Dr. Sanda Čorak, Vice President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Morana Paliković Gruden, Secretary-General of the Croatian Olympic Committee Siniša Krajač, Secretary-General of the Croatian Paralympic Committee Ticijan Komparić, Assistant Secretary-General Zoran Pamić and the President of the CERC “Braća Seljan” Mladen Kuka.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Ana Marija Katić, Marko Beljan