At the traditional annual ceremony held in Villa "Gorica", the Montenegrin Olympic Committee awarded the best athletes and national teams in 2016. President of MOC Dusan Simonovic said that 2016 was not the best year, but it was certainly the year of excellent results of Montenegrin athletes. "We cannot say that for us it's a small feat to be third in the world and second in Europe and fourth at the Olympic Games, to have a junior world champion, a world championship runner-up, as well as a large number of great talents that guarantee a fruitful future of Montenegrin sport" – said Simonovic. He stressed that, for the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, the Olympic Games in Tokyo are the ultimate goal, but that until then there are a lot of big competitions which could bring significant results for Montenegrin athletes. Water polo player Aleksandar Ivovic and karateka Marina Rakovic are the best athletes of Montenegro in 2016. Aleksandar Ivovic won a silver medal at the European Championship and placed fourth at the Olympics in Rio with national team of Montenegro. "It feels good to be the best, but I do not want to take all the credit. There were a lot of my predecessors who have received this award and it is a confirmation that the water polo is a number one sport in Montenegro. I'm glad about that and would like to continue this tradition."- said Ivović. Marina Rakovic was the third at the World Championships, but has also won medals at Premier League tournaments in Paris and Istanbul. "Now I know that all my hard work, dedication and great sacrifices paid off. Karate became an Olympic sport and it is necessary to fulfil the norm. Now I have the motivation to train hard and achieve results. I hope to fulfill that dream." – said Rakovic. The best young athletes are Kristina Rakocevic (athletics) and Djuro Radovic (water polo). Rakocevic said that for her 2016 was an exceptional year: "I won three world medals in one year. I hope to continue doing so. Next year I expect the European Junior Championships, and will try to fulfil the norm for senior World Cup in London. I hope that this is feasible." The talented member of the club "Jadran Carine", Djuro Radovic, thanked everyone who thought that award should belong to him. "For me this is a great success and honor, and also an incentive for further work and progress." – said Radovic. The best national teams are men water polo and women`s basketball team. Head coach of water polo, Vladimir Gojkovic, believes that water polo deservedly won the award. "We have a continuity of good results behind us, but we have to work to keep them. We've got a period of transition, quite heavy, which should have been done earlier on the go. Swimming pool in city of Niksic has brought a lot; I hope the club will quickly come to life. We expect an indoor pool in Podgorica, but a new problem arises on the coast. Swimming pools in Igalo and Kotor, as well as in Budva, are not in good condition." – said Gojkovic. Captain of the senior basketball team, Jelena Skerovic, said that their placement at the championship ensured the continuity of participation in major competitions. "For the older girls of the team, this will be the last chance to obtain a big result. Younger players have confirmed that they have the talent and that they can be counted on in the future. I hope that we will get some luck as well, as that is something we have lacked so far" – concluded Skerovic. Special award "Sports Achievement of the Year" was awarded to a professional boxer Dejan Zlaticanin. Zlaticanin has earned the recognition by winning the title of the professional World Champion in the lightweight division, the WBC.
