Eighteen years since the MOC became a member of the IOC: A moment that marked the realization of the dream of many generations

It has been 18 years, since July 7, 2007, when Montenegro was put on the world sports map.

Then, at the session of the International Olympic Committee in Guatemala, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee was unanimously recognized as the 204th member of the global Olympic family.

"That moment marked the realization of the dream of many generations who dreamed of Montenegrin sport taking its wings and starting its own path, independently, proudly, decisively. Just a year later, at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, our athletes performed for the first time in history under the Montenegrin flag. A small but proud team appeared at the Olympic stadium, a symbol of a young state and the big dreams that its citizens had dreamed for years," the MOC statement said.

"Already in 2012 in London, Montenegro won its first Olympic medal. The silver generation of handball players, the "Lions", not only became champions in the eyes of the nation, but also opened the door to the belief that our sport has the capacity to compete with the greatest, and that dreams become achievable when accompanied by work, dedication and togetherness.

Since then, we have written pages that deserve respect. Our athletes have competed in all editions of the Olympic Games, won medals at the Mediterranean and Small Countries of Europe Games (SMGE), European and World Championships, and in 2019, Montenegro hosted the SMGE, the largest multi-sport event ever organized in our country. It was a moment when we showed that Montenegro can not only meet expectations, but also exceed them, with the superb organization, warmth and dignity that adorn us.

The path from recognition to stability has not been easy. During these eighteen years, we have faced numerous challenges, from global ones, such as the economic crisis and pandemic, to domestic ones, which concerned the development of infrastructure, institutional strengthening and creating trust in the system. However, with the support of the state, federations, coaches, athletes and partners, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee has met each of these challenges willingly, responsibly, transparently and in the interest of Montenegrin sport.

But behind every achievement are not systems driven by inertia, but people, and those who consistently choose to work in the interest of sport, not in the interest of their own ambitions. Throughout all these years, the strength of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee has not been the size of the budget or the number of staff, but the dedication of a small team of people who worked quietly, professionally and responsibly, with visible results.

One of the key factors in our survival and development is the ability to choose the right partners, those who do not see sport as a passing opportunity for self-promotion, nor as a means for a campaign, but as a value that should be nurtured, supported and developed. We have built trust with such people. And that trust lasts.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares this commitment to sport in the same way. During these eighteen years, our organization has occasionally been exposed to attempts to undermine what has been built with great effort for almost two decades, through superficial narratives and personal frustrations. In these attempts, sport has often served only as a stage. In such a forest, true dedication to sport is easily overlooked. That is why it is important to remember: the Montenegrin Olympic Committee has never been a space for personal ambitions, but a common home for those who believe that sport must remain above all interests.

Despite this, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee has maintained its course. We did not respond with spectacle to provocation, nor with insult to manipulation. We responded with work. With numbers. Programs. With trust that lasts. With an organization in which those who feel sport as a calling, not as a training ground, continue to have the upper hand.

Today, as an organization entering its mature years, we look back on the past period with pride, but also with a clear vision for the future. The Olympic movement in Montenegro continues to grow, and investing in young athletes, empowering female athletes, educating coaches and protecting everyone in sports are becoming the pillars on which we build the future. There is no success without a system, and there is no system without people. That is why our athletes, our coaches, our medical teams, volunteers, administration and everyone who makes up our sports mosaic are our most important resources.

We feel both pride in the path we have taken, but also responsibility for what is to come. And that is why we do not only celebrate the date, but also the values ​​we have preserved. We celebrate the principles that guide us: that sport belongs to the athletes. That institutions exist for them, not for their own biographies. That respect is not sought, but earned.

The future of Montenegrin sports lies in the generations to come. And we will be here to leave them a system that, despite everything, has remained true to itself. Stable, dignified and in the service of sports.

In the years to come, we will be guided by the same values ​​that brought us here: work, honesty, solidarity, and the belief that Montenegro can and must be recognized for its sporting spirit and the people who embody it.

"To all members of our Olympic family, athletes, coaches, sports workers, institutions, partners and citizens, thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for believing in Montenegrin sport. And thank you for continuing to write history together," reads the statement signed by the President of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, Dušan Simonović.