Medals won at international competitions are not just good results, but a reflection of the health of a nation and an indication of the lifestyle habits of future generations. Sport plays a crucial role in the upbringing of children, their psychological and physical health and development. We should not overlook sports diplomacy, which consists of a network of our sports officials working in the world and European confederations and federations. There are also the results of Serbian national teams and athletes, which are in the centre of attention of global media on a daily basis. All of this contributes to a positive image of Serbia, raising its international rating and justifying investments.
The fact that Serbian sport is an exceptional ambassador of our country and one of the best channels for its promotion worldwide is highlighted in an interview with Dipos Magazine by the Minister of Sport, our most successful volleyball coach and legend of the sport, Zoran Gajić. The former champion coach and main architect of greatest Serbia’s successes in the game of volleyball today manages the complex mechanism responsible for creating sports results. He is proud of the state policy that pays equal attention to all sports and athletes. Only two things matter, he says – effort and results.
‘There are no ‘big’ or ‘small’ sports. A medal in the Olympics in volleyball or basketball is equal to medals in taekwondo, shooting, or rowing. I consider all those who play for the national team and work hard in the jersey bearing our national flag and coat-of-arms to be sport stars. Whether they come first, third, or last, I see all those who answer the call to compete for Serbia as true patriots and champions’, Gajić adds.

In 2027, Belgrade will host the EXPO Specialised Exhibition. What kinds of opportunities does this event offer for the international promotion of Serbian sports, and how does the Ministry of Sport plan to use them?

The importance of the EXPO Specialised Exhibition for our country is remarkable. Between 15 May and 15 August 2027, representatives of numerous countries will gather in Belgrade to showcase their values, knowledge, and achievements. The motto of the exhibition is ‘Sport and Music for All’, which means that the Ministry of Sport will dedicate all of its resources to the successful organisation of the event. We will promote not only our top athletes and their results, but also present our country as a place that truly loves and lives for sports.
EXPO will be an excellent opportunity to showcase everything that Serbia currently has to offer in the field of sports. Our plan is to organise several events before EXPO to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles and regular physical activity. Top athletes will continuously deliver messages to young people on the importance of practicing sports and on the significance of what they eat and how they spend their free time. The involvement of a large number of young people in the system of regular physical exercise is a specific challenge not only for us, but for the EU as well. The surveys conducted by the European Commission between 2009 and 2022 show a drop in physical activity among EU citizens, while the results in our country are even worse.
EXPO will be an opportunity to raise the awareness of the youth on the importance of exercise, not with the aim of becoming professional athletes, but to become healthier, fitter, and happier. All of this demonstrates the enormous importance of EXPO and means that there is no room for the politicizing of the topic. Personally, I am convinced that EXPO will change our country. This is not a cliché, but an idea that I honestly believe in as a man of experience, and I will do my best to help it come to fruition according to plan.

How big of an incentive to domestic sports will be the construction of the multi-functional National Stadium in Surčin, with an impressive capacity of 52000 seats?

First of all, let us go back in time. Belgrade was the candidate city for the organisation of the 1992 Olympics, and one of its biggest advantages was the properly built and well-positioned sports infrastructure. According to the number of sports venues, stadiums, and halls, Belgrade at that time had the highest number of sports facilities in the world per person, which made us eligible for the candidacy. Today, the situation has changed, but the construction of the National Stadium will usher in a totally new future. We will get an opportunity to organise the most prestigious sports and cultural events. We will have the chance to compete for the organisation of major football competitions with neighbouring countries, as our stadium will be among the most modern in Europe. All of these activities will significantly contribute to a higher influx of funds into the state budget, which will be used to fund the construction of sports infrastructure in schools and for the needs of recreational and competitive sports.

We have recently witnessed significant state investment in sports facilities – from stadiums and halls to training centres. What are the key projects in the coming period and how will they contribute to the development of sports in Serbia in the long run?

The Government of Serbia has recently achieved a number of important results in this area, and sports infrastructure is being constructed daily all over the country. We have built the National Training Centre at Košutnjak within the National Institute for Sports and Sports Medicine, where our best athletes practice every day. In Novi Beograd we are building a modern training centre for volleyball, as well as the Aquatic Centre. Everything that generations of athletes dreamed of is now becoming a reality. Our training centres have the best equipment and facilities, and we have modern recovery and sports medicine centres. We are creating the best conditions for our top athletes to train in Serbia and also to host athletes from abroad.

Despite the obvious popularity of major sports, such as football, basketball, volleyball, and athletics, Serbia now enjoys a solid rating in taekwondo, table tennis, rowing, and other sports. Which of these sports do you consider to be an opportunity for future success and results?

Serbia has been systematically supporting and developing its sports system, without distinction between ‘small’ and ‘big’ sports. For more than ten years we have had no complaints from athletes about the conditions for practicing and competing. We have done our best to ensure that our Olympic candidates can train. The highest of achievements also require financial incentives, and we have built a clear system and criteria for rewards, so the athletes no longer have to live in uncertainty. The fact that this system is working is evidenced by the growing number of foreign athletes who wish to compete for our national teams, even though we remain focused on our children and not on ‘importing’ champions.

Read the full interview in our DIPOS MAGAZINE.