President Milanović Meets with the Leadership, Athletes and Para-Athletes of the Čigra Taekwondo Club from Zagreb

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met today with the leadership, athletes and para-athletes of the Čigra Taekwondo Club from Zagreb, who presented their work to date, development goals, and the contribution of taekwondo as Croatia’s most decorated individual sport.

At the meeting, the President of the Čigra Taekwondo Club, Danijel Bursać, presented the Club to President Milanović. Over more than two decades, the Club has built a reputation as one of the most successful and best-organized sports organizations in both Zagreb and Croatia. The Club currently has more than 300 active members and operates at four locations in Zagreb, it was noted at the meeting.

In reviewing the Club’s sporting achievements over the past season, particular emphasis was placed on the successes of Jan Zanoški and Dorotea Jesih, as well as on the accomplishments of para-athletes whose results confirm the Club’s long-standing quality work and its commitment to promoting inclusion in sport. In this context, they highlighted the socially responsible projects the Club implements – programmes that make it unique not only in Croatia but also in Europe. These include the programmes for children and adults with special needs, Čigrin let (“Čigra’s Flight”) and Na krilima Čigre (“On the Wings of Čigra”). The Čigrin let programme, implemented in cooperation with the Zagreb Down Syndrome Association, is the first of its kind in Europe. It is designed to promote rehabilitation, motor development, social integration and an improved quality of life for children with special needs through the fundamental elements of taekwondo. In cooperation with the Association for Self-Advocacy, the Club also launched the Na krilima Čigre programme, which has produced world and European medallists in para taekwondo.

Along with the President of the Čigra Taekwondo Club, Danijel Bursać, and Vice President and coach Boris Bursać, the meeting at the Office of the President of the Republic was also attended by athletes Dorotea Jesih and Jan Zanoški, as well as para-athletes Domagoj Vujčić, Senada Halilčević and Mario Komorčec.

President Milanović was accompanied by Tomislav Paškvalin, the President’s Commissioner for Sports.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek