Montenegrin karate fighters defend their status as the best team in the Balkans in Budva

The Karate Federation of Montenegro and Budva will host the Balkan Senior Championship from tomorrow to Sunday, the association announced.

The Balkan Championship for Veterans will also be held as part of this competition.

The participation of 313 karatekas (337 applications) from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro has been announced.

They will be led by 55 coaches, and justice will be administered by 54 judges. Montenegrin karate will be represented by 32 competitors - 12 in kata and 20 in fighting.

Mila Mraković (Bar), Katarina Vlahović (Iskra), Viktorija Raičević (Iskra), Mia Ramović (Mladost), Arijana Kočan (Bar) and Jovana Milić (Bar) will compete in kata.

The team will feature: Vlahović, Raičević and Ramović, and will be led by coach Biserka Radulović.

In the men's competition, in kata, Vladimir Mijač (Bar), Kenan Nikočević (Bar), Arijan Kočan (Bar), Nikola Milić (Bar), Benjamin Aljošević (Bar) and Filip Bakić (Budućnost) will compete for medals.

The men's team consists of Mijač, Nikočević, Kočan and Milić, with coach Milena Milačić.

The following have registered for the fights: Matija Bojić (Fokus, up to 60 kg), Balša Vojinović (Iskra, up to 60), Ognjen Bjelajac (Omladinac, up to 60), Nenad Dulović (Omladinac, up to 67), Jovan Đuranović (Bar, up to 67), Nemanja Mikulić (Bijela, up to 75), Arsenije Tadić (Bar, up to 75), Lazar Jovović (Bar, up to 84), Nikola Malović (Onogošt, up to 84), Dušan Bijelić (Bar, over 84), Đorđe Durutović (Bar, over 84), Nemanja Jovović (Bar, over 84) and Lazar Potpara (Fokus, over 84).

The team will compete in the matches with Dulović, Mikulić, Jovović, Malović, Bijelić, Jovović and Potpara, and will be led by coach Almir Cecunjanin and national team coach Dejan Ivanović.

Igor Dijanić, 45+ years old, over 85 kilograms, has entered the veteran competition.

In the senior women's category, Anja Jović (Omladinac, under 50), Helena Backović (Omladinac, under 55), Jovana Strujić (Ris, under 61), Jovana Stojanović (Bratstsvo, under 68), Vasilisa Bujić (Bar, under 68), Milena Jovanović (Omladinac, over 68) and Mariam Zahrane (Bar, over 68) will compete.

In the team section, the Montenegrin team will consist of Jovanović, Jović, Backović and Stojanović. They will be led by coach Žarko Raković.

Tomorrow, on the first day of competition, women in all weight categories, karatekas in the under-60 category, will take to the tatami.

The program also includes individual kata, in the men's competition.