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SANJA MALAGURSKI, VOLLEYBALL PLAYER I was born in love with volleyball V olleyball has been an ex- tremely important link in Serbia’s sporting chain for decades. Our men’s volleyball team has reg- Will it be tough for you to watch it all without being on court? I’m no longer on the court, but I’m always close to my beloved sport. I’m happy that we’ll be the host nation for this June’s Nations League at the Belgrade Arena and that we’ll provide visitors with a genuine volleyball spectacle
“This is a question that always compels me to pause and think, but I know that the decision to end my professional vol- leyball career was undoubtedly the hard- est decision ever, but it was the right one at that moment. I needed a long time to accept and get used to it, but that’s all an integral part of sport and life. I’m now happy right where I am, with big dreams and ambitions that absolutely include sport. I’m still physically active, which is very important to me, with pilates that completely refreshes my mind and over- all health.” What do you miss the most from the time when you were a champion living the active life of a sports professional? “Here I would add to my answer to the previous question by noting that I don’t miss volleyball much in terms of play- ing, but there are other things that of- ten cause me to feel nostalgia, as is con- firmed by my former teammates when we meet up and discuss everything. We were absolutely focused on and commit- ted to one another, went through vari- ous stages together, lifted trophies and cried after defeats. We practically grew up side by side, as professional athletes accustomed to a specific and different lifestyle, way of thinking... Volleyball gave us skills that are worth their weight in gold to us today and that we can im- plement in any sphere of life – team- work, leadership, mental strength, dis- cipline, courage. But what will always be lacking is the adrenaline from the matches, that tension... How can you get up in the middle of a meeting at which something great and successful hap- pened and start screaming at the top of your lungs, jumping and rejoicing? Oh, that feeling...”
ularly appeared on podiums since the late 1990s, and they were joined by the women’s national team in 2006, when they won their first world championship bronze. A lot of sporting history has since been inscribed, as have many stories about gold medals, both European and Olym- pic, and we now have another opportuni- ty to enjoy volleyball. The sport’s Nations League is a very demanding competition due to it being played over three week- ends in different parts of the world, one of which will this June be Serbia, when we will watch the best volleyball players performing on their home court at Bel- grade’s Arena. Sanja Malagurski knows best what it’s like to be on the court com- peting for your country. This European champion might have ended her sporting career, but she hasn’t ventured far from the sport. “I’m proud to be part of the organisa- tional team of the Nations League, par- ticularly because I know how much it means to our national team to play on their home court, in front of a local audi- ence and their closest family members. This is precisely what they strive for dur- ing the club season. As host of the second weekend for both men’s and women’s na- tional teams, we will have the pleasure of watching our national teams at their full capacity, which is a fantastic opportunity for the audience and our youngest spec- tators to cheer for their volleyball idols. The women’s team will host the U.S., Ger- many, France, Holland and Poland from 18 th to 22 nd June, while the men are awaited the following weekend, from 25 th to 29 th June, by matches with Iran, Cuba, Argentina, Holland and Germany.”
There were probably many magical moments in that life, but which of them do you remember most vividly today? “Standing on the roof of Europe at the age of 21, and doing so right here in Bel- grade, in front of our own audience and in a then packed Pionir Hall. Years pass, and every 2 nd October I celebrate and roll back the film, watching recordings of that final. Only I know everything that was left on the other side of that gold med- al, which is why it will always be the most precious to me.” Why was volleyball your sport of choice? “I like to be very short and clear when discussing this topic – I was obviously born with a love for volleyball. No other sport existed for me. I gave gymnastics a chance for a whole month, and that’s all. Even as a little girl, it was enough for me to have a volleyball ball and a wall in front of me, and I started training the sport at the age of nine.” You would probably advise children to pick your sport? “Volleyball is an extremely healthy sport for both girls and boys. There isn’t much physical contact, while it enables chil- dren to really develop properly and learn the skills of teamwork, discipline, sharing and taking responsibility. And if they take steps towards becoming champions, they should try to preserve that childlike spirit for as long as possible, perceiving volley- ball as the most beautiful game and en- joying every moment it gives them.”
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