Throughout the judo world we have families, coaches and athletes, referees, officials and committee members. Regardless where we find them, they’re a heavy presence, and continue in Team Serbia.
A rising star, Aleksandra ANDRIC took the -70kg European Youth Olympic Festival gold just last month, completing her cadet level collection. Not only this but the young athlete has already achieved success at higher levels, with continental medals at both junior and senior level.
Before Aleksandra took her gold, she proudly cheered on younger sister, Nina ANDRIC, as she claimed a bronze medal in the -63kg categroy. It is a special thing to travel and train with your sibling, as we’ve seen with the likes of Mascha and Seija Ballhaus of Germany. But the Andric sisters go one step further, as in the coaching chair, we had father, Milenko.
On many occasions we have seen that athletes can be tremendously successful with their parent coaches; Nemanja MAJDOV and Daria BILODID, for example, and it seems to be continuing in Team Serbia.
Speaking with Milenko after Team Serbia won the Mixed Team gold medal in the European Youth Olympic Festival, he was understandably very pleased with the result,
It is such a good feeling, I have been their coach since they were very little kids.
To see your children succeed is the dream no matter where it may be, but there was no doubt in Milenko’s mind as to whether or not he would his daughters on podiums with a simple,
Oh yes I did!
This unwavering belief is essential.
It’s already a great feeling that the team won, and the medals came during the event, but it is even better that I could do it with my two girls as a family.
Already impressed with the talent threading through the family, Aleksandra explains,
My mother doesn’t do judo but she knows everything, and we also have two younger brothers, they are eight and ten, who are practicing and are very good. They were actually here to watch us compete, sometimes it’s very stressful for my mother though!
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen