The ballroom of Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel witnessed something special on 20 January, a celebration that bridged generations, honoured legends and set ambitious targets for the future. The Judo Federation of Serbia’s gala evening brought together athletes, coaches, officials and dignitaries to recognise achievements from 2024 and 2025. Still, the event was about more than medals. It was about legacy.
Ivan Todorov, President of the Judo Federation of Serbia, opened the evening by congratulating Serbian judoka on their brilliant results over the past two years but he wasn’t content to simply celebrate, he challenged them to reach higher still.
“I am extremely proud of all our judoka and their coaches,” Todorov declared. “None of this would be possible without our partners, primarily the Olympic Committee of Serbia and the Ministry of Sport. I expect 10 Olympic quotas for Los Angeles and hope that we will return from there with one or two medals. We continue to move forward to produce excellent results and for this year’s results to be even better than in 2025, whilst the main long-term goal remains the Games in Los Angeles.”
These aren’t empty promises. Under Todorov’s leadership, alongside his closest associates, Serbian judo has been placed on remarkably stable footing. The medals speak for themselves.
Minister of Sport Zoran Gajić had the pleasant duty of presenting awards to national team members for exceptional sporting results. Plaques were awarded to the Serbian mixed team for their bronze medal at the 2024 European Championships in Zagreb: Marica Perišić, Milica Žabić, Jovana Čakarević, Jovana Bunčić, Andrea Stojadinov, Milica Cvijić, Nemanja Majdov, Darko Brašnjović, Strahinja Bunčić, Bojan Došen, Filip Jovanović, and Igor Vračar.
Minister Gajić didn’t hold back his praise. “The judo organisation deserves every respect. You are the extended arm of the Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Sport, and we should also give recognition to our President, who invests heavily and understands sports deeply. I hope and wish you even better results and as many medals as possible.”
The next generation received their moment in the spotlight when Milan Savić, Director of the Institute for Sport, presented plaques to Serbia’s young judoka who won bronze in the mixed team event at the 2024 European Championships in Tallinn: Aleksandra Andrić, Lana Lubura, Jovana Stjepanović, Kristina Nišavić, Nikolina Nišavić, Marko Jovanović, Veljko Simić, Mihajlo Simin, Milan Bulaja, and Mateja Borojević.
Then came the cadets, champions at the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje. Dejan Tomašević, President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, presented awards to Nina Andrić, Mara Rašić, Milica Radaković, Aleksandra Andrić, Anja Jovanović, Nikola Radanov, Petar Novaković, Nemanja Simić, Nikola Obradović, and Veljko Varničić.
Tomašević spoke of transformation. “It is an honour to be here tonight with the people who are building a strong reputation for judo abroad. You have built a recognisable system. The progress is immense. At the Games in London and Rio de Janeiro, we had only one judoka each. In Tokyo, we were represented by five, and in Paris by six judoka. In 2024, we had a mixed team at the Games for the first time.” The trajectory is undeniable. From lone representatives to full teams. From hope to expectation.
Milovan Bratić, President of the Board of the Judo Federation of Serbia, and Vice President Stojan Vujko presented awards to the best judoka in individual competition for 2024 and 2025. The list was long and impressive. Vice President Vujko laid out the ultimate ambition: “Our plan is an Olympic medal in Los Angeles, for the first time in Serbia’s history. Of course, to reach that is a long road. What awaits us in the very near future is the European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, this April.”
Then came the evening’s most poignant moment: lifetime achievement awards for the “judo seven” figures who shaped Serbian judo’s foundation. Ivan Todorov and Jovan Pejčić, President of the Advisory Board, presented awards posthumously to Borivoje Cvejić, Svetozar Mihailović, Slavko Obadov, Momir Lučić, and Radomir Kovačević. The room fell silent in respect for those who laid the groundwork but couldn’t be there to see what they would built.
Additionally, honours were presented in person to Miomir “Srećko” Mrvaljević, former coach of the Serbian national team and Dr Tóth László, President of the European Judo Union.
Dr Tóth’s acceptance speech was characteristically gracious. “Serbia has long confirmed that it is a successful judo federation, both in competitive and organisational terms. This is the fruit of successful organisation within the Judo Federation of Serbia. What particularly pleases me in Serbian judo are the thousands of children who practise judo and spread the mission of our sport.”
Amongst the attendees was Srđan Matejić, a former Serbian judoka whose presence sparked a particularly touching moment. Matejić and Dr Tóth had faced each other decades ago in competition and here they were, reunited in Belgrade, no longer opponents but old friends.
“I wanted to see my friend, President of the European Judo Union,” Matejić explained with visible emotion. “We were competitors. I remember competing against him in Kobe at the Universiade, and László won.” He recalled the details with the clarity of someone for whom that bout still matters. “The judge was a great Japanese champion. I think he saw who was better. It was fair.”
Matejić left competitive judo behind but never left the sport entirely. “Sometimes I help judo,” he said. “I have a company that works with sports equipment, sports wood flooring and sports seating. It is called Musculus. Every time we work, I buy some judo equipment and present it to clubs in the places where we work.”
Asked how it felt to see old friends and former opponents, his answer was simple and heartfelt: “I like it so much. Filled with emotion, yes.” It is these moments, rivals turned friends, competitors reunited in mutual respect, that capture what judo really means. The sport gives you opponents on the tatami and friends for life off it.
Images: Gabi Juan / Source: Serbian Judo Federation
Author: Szandra Szogedi