18.02.2016.

Tour of the Athletic Hall at the Military Academy

Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic, accompanied with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Nenad Neric and President of the Athletics Federation of Serbia Veselin Jevrosimovic, visited the Athletic Hall in Belgrade, on the eve of its official opening on 1st March, when the Serbian Open Indoor Meeting is to be held.

"It obtained the occupancy permit today and five years since the building initiative, athletics finally got its house", Udovicic said adding that the National Training Centre for gymnastics was opened in Kostolac in 2015, and that in addition to athletics, this year water polo will get its training centre.

Udovicic stressed that athletic stadiums were built in Vrsac and Krusevac in the past two years, and that this year opening of the athletic stadium is expected in Novi Pazar.

"What is important is to create conditions for our athletes to prepare in Serbia. Therefore, our main goal is the development of the sports infrastructure", the Minister pointed out. He also thanked the Ministry of Defence and all previous ministers who worked hard and advocated for this project.

The Ministry of Defence gave land for building of the Athletics Hall, and the building was financed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The hall was multifunctional, so that, apart from athletes, it will be used for recreation as well, and it also is adapted for people with disabilities.

"In such hall all the cadets and all those who are educated in the defence system will be able to use a modern facility for athletics, one of the kind in this part of the Balkans", State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Nenad Neric said. He pointed out that the holder of the overall activity in the defence system is Military Academy, as well as that on the eve of the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for 1st March, control competitions will be held in the hall.

President of the Athletics Federation of Serbia Veselin Jevrosimovic expressed great satisfaction with the fact that the queen of sports got a roof over its head and said that this facility will dramatically change the image of not only athletics, but also the Serbian sport.

"Athletic dream has come true. We can not say that we have no conditions; we have them, and these are according to the world standards. I wish to thank Prime Minister Vucic, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, headed by Minister Vanja Udovicic, as well as the Ministry of Defence, with whose help we built the athletic temple, unique in this part of Europe", Jevrosimovic said.