President Milanović Receives Organizers of 27th Edition of Ladja Marathon to be Held under his Patronage again this Year
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received a delegation of the Neretva River Boatmen Association which included Association president Luka Oršulić, secretary Luka Liković and member of the Supervisory and Disciplinary Committee of the Neretva River Boatmen Association Ante Šprlje.
The Neretva River Boatmen Association is the organizer of the traditional Neretva Ladja Marathon, which will be held for the 27th time this year, under the patronage of President Milanović. The leadership of the Neretva River Boatmen Association thanked the President of the Republic for his support and patronage and invited him to the Ladja Marathon, which will take place this year on August 10th. At the meeting, they informed the President of preparations for this year’s marathon, in which, according to their expectations, even more crews should participate than last year, when there were 29. They also informed him of plans for an additional popularization and internationalization of the Ladja Marathon. In addition to crews from Croatia, so far crews from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia have participated in the Neretva Marathon, and it is the Association’s wish that crews with similar autochthonous vessels from other European states also join the race.
The Ladja Marathon is an amateur sports competition in the race of boats (lađe), traditional autochthonous vessels in the Neretva River valley. It is held once a year on a 22,500 meter-long route, and rowers compete in a race along the Neretva River and its tributaries on the stretch from Metković to Ploče. In addition to boatmen, the Neretva marathon includes women rowers. The first women’s ladja marathon was rowed ten years ago on a length of ten kilometers on the Opuzen – Metković route, and several speed and other races are held during the summer.
Alongside President Milanović was the Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan