Valjevo

The Youth and Sports Committee held its twenty-sixth sitting on 30 March 2011, outside of the headquarters of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, in Valjevo, in the Valjevo Town Assembly building. The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Milan Vuckovic and attended by the Mayor of Valjevo Zoran Jakovljevic, Assistant to the Mayor Radivoje Milutinovic, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Dragan Atanasov, Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of the Republic of Serbia Dr Nenad Dikic, Chairman of Valjevo Town Assembly Goran Lucic, Deputy Mayor Stanko Terzic, Deputy Chairman of the Town Assembly Zaven Der Hazarjan, Director of the Kolubara District Rehabilitation and Construction Directorate and deputy at the Valjevo Town Assembly Dragan Jeremic, town administration chiefs Dragana Djenic and Jelica Stojanovic, clerk in charge of sport at the Valjevo town administration and former basketball player Vojislav Kecojevic, Director of Valis public enterprise Milorad Minic, principal of the elementary school in Popucke in Valjevo, Viktor Dimitrijevic of Masinoprojekt, as well as representatives of Valjevo sports clubs.

Greeting the deputies and guests present, Committee Chairman Milan Vuckovic highlighted the importance of holding sittings outside of the headquarters of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.

The participants were also greeted by the Mayor of Valjevo Zoran Jakovljevic who expressed his pleasure that Valjevo was chosen to be the place to hold the Youth and Sports Committee sitting.

Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport Dragan Atanasov and Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of the Republic of Serbia Dr Nenad Dikic presented the activities of the Anti-Doping Agency of the Republic of Serbia aimed at preventing doping in sports. Dr Dikic stated that between 2006 and 2010 the number of anti-doping tests was increased 20-fold, from 21 to 410, but it is still twice lower that in countries with a similar population count. 794 Serbian athletes were tested in the past five years. Football, athletics and cycling are among the most frequently tested sports, while boxing, weight-lifting, cycling and basketball have the highest doping-positive athletes. Dr Dikic concluded that the test results warn of the importance of doping control in sports and call for the participation of not only the Ministry of Youth and Sport and some sports federations, but all sports federations, sporting institutions and the media.

The Committee members and guests agreed that it is necessary to intensify anti-doping tests in future so as to promote healthy sporting activities and eradicate doping in Serbian sports.

In the continuation, Radivoje Milutinovic informed the Committee members on the priorities in the development of sport in Valjevo. Dragan Jeremic presented the Valjevo sport infrastructure development plan. Viktor Dimitrijevic presented the new Sports Hall construction project, while Milorad Minic presented the construction plan of a closed pool at the Petnica Sports and Recreational Centre in Valjevo.

After the sitting, the Committee members visited the elementary school in the village of Popucke.

The deputies also played a friendly game of mini football with the Valjevo veteran team. The Valjevo veteran team was selected by Valjevo journalists. In the match, played at the Sports Hall, Milan Vuckovic, Milan Lapcevic, Aleksandar Pejcic, Sladjan Mijaljevic, Zoran Kasalovic, Djordje Milicevic, Tamas Tot, Dejan Nikolic, Mirko Cikiriz and Filip Stojanovic (selector) played for the team of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia.