Montenegrin chess icon Božidar-Bonja Ivanović was awarded the Order of the Montenegrin Flag, First Class, on the occasion of May 21st, Independence Day.
Ivanovic was honored by President Jakov Milatović at a ceremony today at the Cetinje Residence, and along with the celebrated Montenegrin football player and president of the Federation of Montenegro (FSCG) Dejan Savićević, he is the only one from the world of sports among the seven recipients of the prestigious award.
The order is awarded for special services to Montenegro.
"I am grateful for the honor and decoration on the eve of Independence Day," Ivanovic, a former chess grandmaster, told Vijesti, emphasizing that he sees the decoration not only as personal, but also as a decoration for chess.
"I am particularly pleased with the fact that President Milatović has shown that he has the intellectual sense to recognize chess in Montenegrin society with this award," he said.
Ivanovic, a chess grandmaster, is a multiple champion of the former Yugoslavia in the ancient game, is the "eternal" champion of Montenegro (as many as 16 times), and was an important member of the national team of the former great country, which, along with the former Soviet Union, was the greatest chess power of the time.
"As the first Montenegrin grandmaster, officially declared in 1978 - with decades of engagement, both competitively and as a coach, he placed our country on the world chess map, and through the Budućnost chess club, with his coaching skills, he produced numerous young generations of chess players that Montenegro is proud of today," Jakov Milatović stated in his explanation.
"Personally, I experience the award as satisfaction and recognition for my career, so I am sincerely pleased that President Milatović is also showing his affection for the ancient game with this award," added Ivanovic, former Minister of Sports in the Government of Montenegro.
"I hope that this is the beginning of correcting the injustice done to chess and that through amendments to the Law on Sports, chess will receive the position it deserves, and that the work of the Chess Federation of Montenegro will receive additional support in the time ahead," concluded Božidar Ivanović.
In addition to Ivanović and Savićević, at today's ceremony, state decorations were also received by Prof. Zoran Rašović, Dr. Tatjana Motrenko Simić, Vanja Ćalović Marković, Snežana Dragićević, Goran Radević and Mirsad Serhatlić.
Bonus video:
