A year to remember toward year to acknowledge

The Montenegrin Olympic Committee chose Women Handball Club "Budućnost T-mobile" from Podgorica,champions and winners of the Cup, for most successful one. Gobled was received by Maja Bulatović, sport director of the club.

Most successful yuong athlete is 16 years old athlete Jovana Kljajević, member of the Athletic club "Jedinstvo" from Bijelo Polje, holder of Montenegrin record on 200 and 400 m both in junior and senior categories.

Aleksandar Radović, member of Montenegrin water-polo national team, and member of the Swimming and water-polo club "Jadran" from Herceg Novi received the goblet for being elected asa the best young athlete in the past year.
Goblets were awarded by Dušan Simonović, President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee.

The Executive Board of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, following whose proposition these best young athletes and clubs were elected, decide to praise several extraordinary young Montenegrin athletes. They chose swimmer Marina Kuč, member of Montenegrin national team, who is the first Montenegrin athlete with fulfilled norm for participation at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Slađana Kršikapa, Stevan Jovetić and women kata team of Karate club "Budućnost" from Podgorica.

Kršikapa is young karate expert from KC "Gorštak" from Kolašin. She has won lots of medals, out of which most signifficant one is silver medal from the World Championship for cadets and juniors. Jovetić is already recognised football player, member of Montenegrin football national team, and player of Belgrad FC "Partizan".

In his addressing, President Simonović reminded awarded athletes and present to year 2007, the year drawing to a close, as he said, the year signifficant for Montenegrin sport in many aspects. First of all, as he said, important for being the first year in which our athletes competed under the colors of their country.

"We know that it implicated numerous and great obligations, higher level of commitment for all of us, but also it brought proud and dignity of appearance for your own country. In that regard, in this moment, we can say that our athletes and sport workers have reradily responded to this challenge, and already in this, first year on the world sport battlefields, achieved noticable results, on which much bigger sport foces could envy us ", said President of the MOC. He added that the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, even though ready for this moment, was cought completely unprepared. He reminded that in 2007, the MOC did a lot in the field of affirmation and sport development, helping athletes to prepare in adequate way for what expects us in the following year, which is the Olympic Games.

"Therefore, in this year, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee consolidated its functions by providing solid financial sources, setting up its own functional infrastructure, adequate inernal organisation and worked on strenghtening of its corporate identity, all with aim to renew its basic mission prescribed by the membership in the IOC", said Dušan Simonović.

In his addressing, he reminded on good cooperation between the MOC and the State, and several big companies. Inthat context, he particularly stressed tha the MOC has signed two important contracts in December – with Montenegrin Telecom on golden sponsorship, day befor the ceremony in Bečići, and with "First Bank of Montenegro", Contract on general sponsorship.

"These contracts, actually, newly established partner relations with such great companies, are the best proof that the Montenegrin Olympic Committee has big reputation and importance in overall Montenegrin sport. Some other big companies, as well, recognised prestige and usefulness of cooperation with us, and we hope that in next period we will constitute with them quality partner relations of mutual benefit."

Looking back at membership of the MOC into the IOC, realised in July this year, Simonović said that functioning of the MOC and Olympic sport as a whole wasa harmonized with principles prescribed by membership in the biggest sport association in the World. Even though young, the MOC was recognised as one good organisational whole, who already has reputation in international sport circles.
"Beside renewing our basic mission, which is spreading of Olympism in our country, special attention during this year was dedicated to setting up quality international cooperation. First of all, I think about strenghtening of earlier started communication with the Olympic Committees from the Reagion, but also with Olympic Committees and relevant sport institutions from Europe and the World," said President of the MOC.

One part of his speech Simonović dedicated to preparations for the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008, since the MOC, as he said, during this year was mainly concentrated to more quality preparation of our athletes for participation at the OG.
"This will be the first appearance of Montenegro at the Olympic Games, so this fact commits all of us connected to sport to maximum attention and maximum devotion to preparations for departure to this biggest world sport event. I think that the Montenegrin Olympic Committee in accordance with his mission ans his possibilities gave logistics to our athletes and I believe that those who have required norms will go ti Beijing well prepared and that we can expect some results from them."

On behalf of the MOC Simonović promised to give all possible support for preparation period for the Games whenever ther is need for it. He expresses certainty that we will proudly look at our athletes in Beijing, even though lots of things depend on luck.

"I believe in brave hearts of our athletes, in their knightly Montenegrin spirit, and that's why I know that we will watch with pride our boys and girls, Montenegrin flag and listen to Montenegrin anthem, at this biggest sport event as well as at all others."

Simonović concluded with words: "We readily await the Olympic year, proud on all results of our athletes in this year, both ones from the Olympic sports and those from non Olympic sports, and I believe that in the following year Montenegrin athletes will represent teir country in best possible way on all competitions, and that we will be proud of them as we were so far."

Srđan Kovačavić, President of the Water-polo and swimming Association of Montenegro thanked on behalf of awared athletes. He thanked for acknowlegements of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and wished Montenegro to win some of the Olympic medals next year.
During the ceremony was announced that in 2008. line Ministry, Association of Sport journalists and the MOC will jointly choose best athletes in Montenegro.

Celebration in "Splendid" attended lots of guests, mainly sport workers. At the ceremony were also present Đorđije Kustudić, Secretary General of the MOC, Miodrag Ivanović, Chief of Montenegrin Olympic Mission, and lots of members of the Presidency and the Executive Borad of the MOC. At the ceremony were also present Dragan Drobnjak, Assistant Minister for sport within Montenegrin Minisrty of Culture, Sport and Media, and Dušan Bjelica, President of the Montenegrin sport Academy.

After the ceremony organisers hosted all guest at the coctail party.