First Serbian Military Athletics Association established
Pursuant to the Law on Sports of the Republic of Serbia, the Rulebook on the Activities of Military Sports Associations and the Decision by the Minister of Defence, the Military Athletics Association "Akademac" has been established, with its headquarters at the Military Academy. The decision by the Business Registers Agency verified the founding of the Association on 30 October 2020.
The Association’s founding assembly, chaired by Lieutenant Goran Čegar, was held on 5 August 2020 at the Military Academy. The assembly adopted goals to work towards: the development of athletics in the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces; promotion and development of a healthy lifestyle; improving the MoD and SAF members’ physical condition and readiness; development of university and school athletics in the Military Academy; non-formal education in the field of athletics; organizing athletic events and activities where top athletes, military athletes, sports recreationists and amateurs can participate; organizing athletics schools; organizing humanitarian events; cooperation with other sports organizations, and membership in the territorial Sports Federation and competent national and regional branch sports federations.
The Association’s Statute was harmonized and adopted and Managing and Supervisory Boards were elected at the founding assembly.
The elected Managing Board consists of: Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Todorov - President of the Association and President of the Assembly, Major Vladimir Petošević - Vice President and Representative of the Association, and members - Lieutenant Colonel Nenad Milosavljević, Lieutenant Goran Čegar and civilian Nataša Ćulafić. The Supervisory Board consists of: Lieutenant Colonel Aleksandar Neševski - President, and members – Sergeant Major First Class Radomir Raković and civilian Goran Milosavljević.
The Association’s Managing Board, which met on 17 November 2020, adopted a decision to admit the Military Sports Association to the Serbian Athletics Federation, and the Association was granted a licence to compete in 2021. Also, along with the admission to the Serbian Athletics Federation, the procedure of joining the Athletics Federation of Belgrade and the Sports Federation of Voždovac, on whose territory the Association’s headquarters are located, is in progress.
Once the procedures for joining the abovementioned branch federations have been completed, the next steps are to determine the Association’s development strategy, create working conditions, and find adequate professional coaching staff that will establish an effective system for the preparation and participation of athletes in domestic and international athletics events. The emphasis will be on athletes joining the Association (professional members of the Ministry of Defence and members of their families, cadets attending the Military Academy and the Military Medical Academy’s Medical Faculty, students attending the Military Grammar School and Secondary Vocational Military School, but also promising and top civilian athletes)and their participation in competitions organized by the Serbian Athletics Federation and the Athletics Federation of Belgrade.