A ceremonial welcome was held at the Podgorica airport today for the Montenegrin boxing team, which returned from the European Junior Championships in Germany with two medals - gold and bronze.
With applause, flags and ovations, gold medalist Matija Roganović, bronze medalist Nikola Raičević, and Strahinja Mrdak and Luka Otašević, who were stopped in the quarterfinals, were welcomed by boxing fans, leaders of the Boxing Federation of Montenegro, family members and friends, as well as the General Director of the Directorate for Sports Infrastructure at the Ministry of Sports, Milan Jančić, who wanted to congratulate them on their great success and worthy representation of Montenegro on the international stage.
Visibly emotional, young champion Matija Roganović did not hide his satisfaction with the achieved result.
– I gave my all, I believed in myself from the first match and I knew I could win gold. I had four matches, the most difficult of which was in the semi-finals against the favored Ukrainian Dmytro Kasyanenko. This is a great reward for all the effort, work and sacrifice. I am sure that this is just one in a series of medals that I will win in the future, said Matija Roganović.
Upon arriving in Podgorica, Matija was greeted with news that the Board of Directors of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee had selected him as the best young athlete in Montenegro in 2025.
The President of the Boxing Federation of Montenegro, Aleksandar Klemenko, sent his sincere congratulations to Matija Roganović on winning the gold medal, Nikola Raičević on winning the bronze medal, and to the other Montenegrin national team members, emphasizing that their successes are the result of many years of work, discipline, and faith in their own abilities.
-I congratulate Matija on his outstanding result, as well as Nikola, Luka and Strahinja for representing Montenegro in the best possible way at the European Championship. This success is the result of dedicated work, but also of the clear system that we are building in Montenegrin boxing, said Klemenko, emphasizing that the Boxing Federation of Montenegro will continue to strongly support young and talented athletes in the future. - BSCG will continue to provide full support to all talented boxers, because they are the future of our sport. Investing in youth is our priority and I am convinced that many more medals from major competitions await us in the coming period, said Klemenko.
In addition to the boxers, Klemenko also congratulated the Professional Staff, emphasizing that the achieved results are the result of teamwork and a professional approach.
– I would also like to congratulate the entire coaching staff - head coach Nikola Ružić and coaches Boško Drašković and Slavko Mrdak on a job well done. Their dedication, discipline and togetherness were key to a successful performance at the European Championship, said Klemenko.
Matija's coach at BK Nikšić and member of the Professional Staff, Boško Drašković, emphasized that Matija Roganović's success is the result of shared faith, hard work, and rich competitive experience that they gained throughout the year.
-We all believed in Matija from the very beginning. We worked hard, participated in a large number of competitions and every match was an important step towards this result. Nothing happened by chance, said Drašković, emphasizing that the gold medal from the European Championship represents the peak of an extremely successful season. - This is the crown of a very successful year, both for Matija and for the entire professional team. We are proud of him and I am convinced that this is just the beginning of his great results, said Drašković.
The head coach of the national boxing team, Nikola Ružić, emphasized that the success in Germany is further proof that Montenegrin boxing has a bright future, and that such results represent a strong motivation for the younger generations.
- The gold medal from the European Championship further confirmed Matija Roganović's status as one of the greatest talents in Montenegrin boxing, and this welcome at the airport was a symbol of gratitude and pride for his extraordinary sporting feat. The performances of our boxers in Germany represent a strong encouragement to the entire boxing community in Montenegro and confirmation that with continuous work, top results can be achieved on the European and world stage, said Nikola Ružić.
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