Athletes of the Year 2012 Elected

Bojana Popovic has led "Buducnost" handball club to the Champions League trophy, and won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in London with Montenegrin national handball team.

– "This has been my honor, a crown of my career which was long and full of excitement. I would like to thank everyone who made it possible to fall in love with the sport this way. Thanks to those who have been part of my career and have participated in all of my wins and losses, " said Popovic.

Katarina Bulatovic, in addition to the silver medal at the Olympic Games and the Champions League trophy, has won gold at the European Handball Championships.

– "In addition to all the awards that I have received this year, I'll pick this as a favorite. Being an athlete of Montenegro for me is something incredible. I managed to fight my way in. This year I achieved great results with the club and national team, and these will be difficult to replicate", said Bulatovic.

In the name of the main sponsor of Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Telenor, Executive Director Karen Hilsen has presented the gifts to Bojana Popovic and Katarina Bulatović and gave them congratulations on a well deserved award.

The most successful young female athlete of Montenegro in 2012 is handball player Marina Vukcevic, which won the women's handball silver medal at the London Olympics and a gold medal at the European Championships in Serbia.

Sailor Milivoj Dukic, who had remarkable performance at the Olympics , and won a silver medal at the European Junior Championships, was chosen as the best young male athlete of Montenegro in this year.

– "This season has been fantastic in terms of results. This award was a great honor for me, a huge push for the future, and a proof that what I'm doing, I'm doing well. This makes me happy, and when it gets hard during training, this will be my motivation to do more", said Dukic.

Women's natoinal handball team, which won the silver at the Olympic Games in London and the title of European champion, was named as the best national team in 2012.

Montenegro's water polo team, which won the fourth place in the London Olympics and a silver medal at the European Championships, has been chosen as the best male national team.

President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Dusan Simonovic said that the women's handball did what no one in the history of Montenegrin sport had done.

– "It shows that hard work, perseverance, persistence and dedication reach the goal. Sport can be an example for other spheres of social life, and a guidance on how to make a good result", said Simonovic.

-'' This is an exceptional year for the Montenegrin sport, and it definitely belongs to handball. It confirmed a rule that Montenegro is a country of miracles when it comes to sports. Handball players have done what no one in the history of Montenegrin sport has, and I dare to say that this will be hard to repeat, but with our athletes anything as possible.

  The crown of our work and success are the Olympic Games in London. It is the dream of all athletes, all of the Olympic family. They made us happy and proud, they did something that will never be forgotten. In London, next to our lioness, we had a great generation of young athletes that we can count on at the Olympics in Brazil, such as sailor Milivoj Dukic and discus thrower Danijel Furtula. We will have a great team in Brazil, you can expect more success from them'', said Dusan Simonovic.

President Simonovic also stated that we had great success in other sports, and praised the achievements of water polo, soccer, and basketball players, and singled out handball coach Dragan Adzic, stating that he entered the order of top coaches. He also expressed his gratitude to supporters of Montenegrin national teams.

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said that the success of Montenegrin athletes in 2012 are the result of the continuous work and is confident that it will be repeated in the future. He said that talent of Montenegrin athletes, professional quality work and better conditions all must give results.

– "We had hoped that the results will come, and they came this year already, to make an even larger and wealthier nation than Montenegro proud. It happened this year, early enough to be the inspiration for athletes, sports workers, and the state of Montenego in years to come".

In a separate part of the ceremony, at the request of the International Olympic Committee, all handball players were given a special badge of the International Olympic Committee for winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games in London. The Olympic anthem was intoned, as was approved by the IOC.

President of the Montenegrin Parliament Ranko Krivokapic also attended the ceremony, and gave full support to our athletes .

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