Table tennis player Filip Radović is the most successful Montenegrin Paralympian in 2024, in the traditional selection of the Paralympic Committee (POK).
Radović earned his seventh Sportsman of the Year award by winning the bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
He is currently the second player in the world senior ranking, in the S10 category.
He completed his successful year with trophies from tournaments in Podgorica and Laško, considered by many to be one of the strongest in the world.
"It is a great honor for me that the award for the best Paralympian went to me this year as well. A big year is behind me, I achieved several good results in sanctioned points tournaments and earned second place in the World Ranking. The year was crowned with a bronze medal in Paris. When I sum it all up, I can be overjoyed. I will continue to work as before and I hope that I will be able to repeat at least similar results in the future", said Radović.
In Paris, he won the sixth individual award from the biggest world competitions.
Bronze was also at the Games in Tokyo, while playing in the finals at the European Championships in Helsingborg 2019 and Sheffield 2023.
He also has bronze medals won in the Danish Vejle in 2015 and Laško in 2017.
With Luka Bakić and Dejan Bašanović, he won the team bronze from Helsingborg.
The award was presented to Radović at a ceremony held by the umbrella association of sports for persons with disabilities celebrating 15 years of international recognition.
Vladimir Marić, who led Radović and Luka Bakić at the Games in Paris, was declared the best coach.
Special recognition for top sports achievement went to chess player Predrag Nikač, winner of the bronze medal at the IBSA World Individual Championship for people without and with visual impairments in Petrovac.
In his career, he has a gold and a silver medal from the World Singles Championship for visually impaired people in Cagliari in 2019 and four years later in Rhodes, organized by the International Chess Organization for the Visually Impaired (IBCA).
He also won gold medals at the first Blind and Visually Impaired Olympics in 2017 and the first board of the first Paralympics last year in Belgrade.
He is the first champion of independent Montenegro, and four times he was national champion in the regular program.
POK also presented awards for exceptional sports results to the participants of the Games in Paris - Maja Rajković, Milan Đinović and Luka Bakić.
The most successful young athlete, for the third consecutive year, is swimmer Iskra Dedivanović, who broke personal records at the World Series meetings in Linjan and Berlin and won medals at regional paraswimming competitions.
The most successful team is the national team of Montenegro, finalist of the European Championship - B division in Linjan.
By reaching the finals, they ensured their return to the A division, among the ten best selections in Europe. The successful year of the Montenegrin goalball players was completed by the team from Nikšić by winning the bronze medal at the final tournament of the Champions League.
President Igor Tomić thanked everyone for their contribution to making the Paralympic movement in Montenegro what it is now.
"After 20 and more years of working together, only two words permeate me - the first is thank you to everyone for your partnership, sincere and undivided action and support for POK, and the second is pride for everything you have done all these years," Tomić said.
He emphasized that during the 15 years of its existence, POK has grown into a serious subject and in Paris stood side by side with 85 countries of the world that brought a medal to their country, unlike 101 others that failed to do so.
"You, my dear Paralympians, are a role model and a paradigm of what our Montenegro should look like. How it should look according to your relationship, perseverance, persistence, sincerity and elegance, and on the other hand modesty. You have had the most difficult thing in life, and that is the measure. To be equally exalted in the stadium in Paris, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, where you proudly represented Montenegro", said Tomić.
He pointed out that the Montenegrin Paralympians, on the other hand, knew very well how to behave when they returned to the cold, conditional and non-conditional halls and dusty training grounds, from where they started for success.
"Once again, a big thank you, we continue the mission and let's move forward together," said Tomić.
Minister Dragoslav Šćekić said that POK, with great determination and the will of individuals, as well as the talent of athletes, mapped Montenegro on the map of the countries that won medals from all major competitions in a relatively short period of time.
"Paralympism entered Montenegro 15 years ago, and since then, thanks primarily to the love and dedicated work of individuals, but also to the social inclusion and freedom from prejudice of our athletes, it has recorded continuous growth and success at international competitions. Recognized energy and talent have conditioned social reception and raising awareness of the value of the results that competitors - Paralympians bring to our sports family and country," Šćekić said.
Speaking about the Paralympic movement in Montenegro, he said that, although it is not advisable to single out individuals, he would like to thank Filip Radović, Predrag Nikač, Radmil Baranin, Marija Goranović, Luka Bakić, Dejan Bašanović, Maja Rajković, on behalf of Montenegrin sports in general. as well as their coaches.
Šćekić emphasized that they, as well as many other Paralympians, proudly represented Montenegrin Paralympic sports in the period behind us.
"Every year, the Paralympic family expands, both in sports and in the successful performances of our competitors. And when the results are visible, the state must not remain on the sidelines either. "My personal attitude, as well as that of the employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, towards you, dear Paralympians, borders on admiration and I greatly respect your commitment, so we are continuously raising support for your activities," Šćekić said.
According to him, their partnership manifests itself through the joint strengthening of the values of Paralympism, respect for diversity, helping the inclusion process, strengthening the infrastructure for sports for people with disabilities, as well as the systematic improvement of para sports through the Law on Sports and the Strategy for Sports Development.
"Dear Paralympians, probably the state of Montenegro does not have the resources it should realistically support your sports activities. Even much more developed economies don't have that, but we at the Ministry of Sports and Youth are doing everything and will do everything in the future to be your support and reliable companion," Šćekić said.
President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, congratulating the jubilee, said that under the management hand of Igor Tomic, there was a huge growth and development of POK.
"And we're not just talking about medals, Radovic's great medals in table tennis, as well as the medal won almost in Paris. It is about what POK is actively doing in the field of inclusion of people with disabilities in the country. We are talking about using the opportunity provided by the Games, such as the Games in Tokyo and Paris, to show the country what all disabled people can do, to change perceptions and therefore society," said Parsons.
He is convinced that the next 15 years will be even more successful for Montenegrin Paralympic sport.
"Know that you can always count on the International Paralympic Committee. POK is a valued and important member of our movement and very close to our hearts," said Parsons.
A film by Montenegrin director Nikola Vukčević, titled Idemo dalje - tejedno, dedicated to the jubilee of POK, was shown within the festive academy.
The ceremony in the Ramada Hotel in Podgorica brought together the presidents of the national Paralympic committees of the countries of the region, leaders of Montenegrin sports and national sports federations, sponsors and friends of the movement of people with disabilities.
Bonus video:
