President Milanović Attends Award Presentation Ceremony for Zagreb’s Best Athletes
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended an award presentation ceremony for the best athletes of the City of Zagreb in 2021, traditionally hosted by the “Sportski savez Grada Zagreba” (Sports Federation of the City of Zagreb).
Congratulating the best athletes on their achievements, awards and recognitions, President Milanović stated that coaches are people without whom there can be no success. “We owe those people many thanks as well as to all those who made great efforts, had no money yet made it to the Olympics, competed, didn’t reap medals, who were within easy reach in difficult sports, with small scholarships and small financial resources. Those are wonders which inspire”, President Milanović stated.
He noted that in sports and in life ten percent accounts for talent, and ninety percent comes from hard work. It’s good to teach this to children, but reality is somewhat different. “To be born without a talent at sports isn’t good, but it’s good to teach children that hard work is more important than talent. Society organizes what it can, the City of Zagreb has money, it’s a rich city. I know it’s not easy and I’m sure you will help those who have no money, which is the majority”, President Milanović said in concluding his address, adding that “there was no life in this city without sports and the city has always lived for sports”.
President Milanović presented the award for the best sports crew – Martin and Valent Sinković, rowing men’s pair winning who won their second Olympic gold in Tokyo this year. Besides being Olympic winners, the Sinković brothers were European champions this year for the fifth time, and since the category for the most successful pair, crew or relay has been introduced in 2015 by the “Sportski savez Grada Zagreba”, brothers Martin and Valent Sinković have been the only ones to win it.
Special recognitions of the Sports Federation of the City of Zagreb were presented to the following best athletes with disabilities: Anđela Mužinić Vincetić and Helena Dretar Karić, and discus thrower Ivan Katanušić. Annual awards for outstanding results and sports activities were presented to: the Zagrebački sveučilišni športski savez, judo player Lara Cvjetko, swimmer Mirela Kardašević, karate player Anđelo Kvesić and rower Damir Martin. Special recognitions for Olympic medals were presented to: Nikola Mektić, Marin Čilić and Ivan Dodig. A trophy for lifetime achievement was presented to: the Kajak kanu klub Zagreb – Olympic winner Matija Marinić, Branka Trzun-Makek, Željko Gobec, Mato Šebalj and Drago Diklić. Special recognitions were presented for best coaches: Nikola Bralić (coach of Valent and Martin Sinković), Lucijan Krce (coach of Tin Srbić), Srećko Šuk (coach of Damir Martin), Roland Varga (coach of Ivan Katanušić) and Mirela Šikoronja Ivančin (coach of Anđela Mužinić Vincetić and Helena Dretar Karić).
The best women’s team was Lokomotiva Handball Club – finalists of the EHF Europe Cup 2020-2021, winners of the Republic of Croatia Cup, and have qualified for the EHF European League 2021-2022. The best men’s team was Dinamo Zagreb Citizens’ Football Club, champion of Croatia, winner of the Croatian Cup, quarterfinalists of the European League 2020-2021.
The best female athlete is Lucija Lesjak, bronze medal winner in the +68 kg category at the Karate World Championships as well as the bronze medal in the team event at the European Championships. Best male athlete is Tin Srbić, member of the Zagreb Gymnastics Club “Hrvatski sokol”, winner of the silver medal in the men’s horizontal bar at the Olympic Games and overall World Cup winner in the men’s horizontal bar.
Alongside President Milanović at the award presentation ceremony was the Commissioner of the President for Sports Željko Jovanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek