President Milanović Receives and Congratulates European Senior Karate and Para-Karate Championships Medallists
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received in the Office of the President medallists from the 56th European Senior Karate and Para-Karate Championships, members of the national coaches’ expert teams and heads of the Croatian Karate Federation.
The following members of the Senior men’s national team who won a gold medal in team competition attended the reception in the Office of the President: Ivan Kvesić, Anđelo Kvesić, Ivan Martinac, Ante Mrvičić, Zvonimir Živković, Karlo Raguž and Enes Garibović, who also won an individual bronze medal, apart from the joint gold medal. The bronze medal was awarded to members of the Senior women’s team Ana Lenard, Lea Vukoja and Mia Greta Zorko, as well as to para-karate national team member Danijela Topić.
Congratulating them on their success, President Milanović said that he knew how much time and effort they had invested and he wished success to the Croatian national team member in the light heavyweight category Ivan Kvesić, who will also compete at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The championship, which was held in May in Poreč and brought together 646 participants from 47 European countries, was the last qualifying tournament ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, where karate will be represented as an Olympic sport for the first time. The Republic of Croatia won a total of four medals and for the first time in history the title of European champion in men’s team competition. This led Croatia to its 100th jubilee medal at senior European Championships and World Karate Championships since the country’s independence, which is among Croatia’s best achievements in any sport if one considers the number of medals received.
In his remarks at the reception, Croatian Karate Federation President Davor Cipek thanked President Milanović for coming to Poreč to attend the opening of the 56th European Senior Karate and Para-Karate Championships. Commenting on the activities of the Croatian Karate Federation, he said that the Croatian karate ‘family’ today includes 180 clubs, 16 county karate federations and four municipal federations, that they are one large family that today has about 10,000 registered athletes, 490 coaches and 120 referees, and that according to data of the Croatian Olympic Committee they are one of the most successful Croatian sports federations.
Apart from the medallists, also attending the reception were members of the national coaches’ expert teams Dubravko Kolec, Danijel Vučić, Dragutin Galina, Danil Domdjoni, Davor Mrzak, Marijana Kiuk and Ante Čutura, as well as the heads of the Croatian Karate Federation, President Davor Cipek, Secretary General Darko Šimunec and Secretaries Luka Požgaj and Boris Ermenc.
Alongside President Milanović were Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic Bartol Šimunić and Commissioner of the President of the Republic for Sports Željko Jovanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta