The medals from the European Championship (EP) in Laško and the European Youth Paralympic Games in Genoa made 2017 the most successful year in his career, said table tennis player Filip Radović.
The Montenegrin Paralympic Committee declared Radović the most successful athlete in 2017.
Radović won the bronze medal at the senior European championship for people with disabilities in Laško, while the performance in Genoa ended with three medals, gold in singles and team and silver in doubles.
"In 2017 is perhaps my best year since I started playing table tennis, first of all because I managed to defend my medal from the previous EP in Vejle. Then I made a surprise, and this year everyone took me much more seriously. It was more difficult to defend than to win a medal. The crown of the year came in Genoa, and I was also good at the Masters tournaments, I won medals in Linjan, Laško and Bayerut, and that all resulted in placing in seventh place in the ranking list", said Radović.
He pointed out that he will do everything to maintain his position on the ranking list of the World Senior Pair Table Tennis Federation for the next two years, which would enable him to qualify for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
"Next year, Masters tournaments await me, and I also expect to perform at the regular June European Championship. I will direct all preparations towards October and the SP in Laško", said Radović.
The most successful young athlete was swimmer Ilija Tadić, who won silver in the 100-meter freestyle at the European Youth Paralympic Games.
At the World Senior Championship in Mexico City, he made it to two finals, in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle. At 100 meters he was eighth, while at 50 meters he won sixth place. Due to school commitments in Novi Sad, Tadić did not attend the ceremony.
The most successful team in 2017 was the national team of Montenegro, which won the silver medal at the European Championship in the C division and won placement in the B division.
The national team of Montenegro is the winner of several international and regional tournaments, which is a candidate for the appearance in the Central European League, in which it won fifth place this season.
A member of the goal ball team, Marko Nikolić, said that the work paid off in the end and compensated for the handicap of a small base.
"We didn't go to the EP as complete outsiders, but not with expectations of winning a higher rank. We have a small base, but we have made up for it with great work. We managed to do a good championship and make a big result. "Injuries hindered us at the end of the season, but I believe that we will be ready for the start of the new season and the continuation of the Central European League," said Nikolić.
He pointed out that in 2018 Montenegrin goalball players are expected to play at the B European Championship in Poland, stating that he believes in survival in that level of the competition.
Chess player Predrag Nikač was awarded for his exceptional sports performance in 2017.
The Association of Associations of Paraplegics of Montenegro and the Association of the Blind of Montenegro were awarded a gold plaque for their outstanding contribution to the development of sports for people with disabilities.
A special award was given to Zoran Poleksić, the author of the book on goalball, Global Mr. Goalball.
The President of the Paralympic Committee, Igor Tomić, said that 2017 was an exceptional year, stating that the continuity of bringing senior medals from major European and world competitions continued.
"It was a year in which we were perhaps the most statistically successful country at the European Youth Paralympic Games, because with two competitors we won four medals, two of which were gold. "For the first time, we appeared in a team sport on the big stage and with only six registered goalball players won a silver medal at the C division championship in Chisinau," Tomić said.
He pointed out that 20117 was also a time of success for chess players, in which medals were won at masters tournaments.
"We have completed over 40 events of an international nature, implemented two projects, with the Association of Sports Journalists and another funded by the European Commission, where we were a reliable partner with the highest ratings from eight European countries," said Tomić.
He thanked the Ministry of Sports and the Montenegrin Olympic Committee for their support.
"The Montenegrin Paralympians are waiting for three European Championships and one WC in 2018, and these competitions are the key leading to the POI in Tokyo. "Montenegro and the small POK, and the big Paralympic Montenegro, will have something to say in Tokyo," Tomić said.
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