24.04.2012.

Presentation of the Project for construction of the first athletic hall

Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac attended the presentation of the Project for construction of the first athletic hall in Belgrade and Serbia which will be built on the site of the Military Academy. The Athletic Hall will be named after General Svetomir Djukic, the founder of the Serbian Olympic Committee.

The presentation of the project was attended by Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports Zagorka Petrovi? Zlatanovi?, President of the Serbian Athletic Federation Veselin Jevrosimovi?, Secretary General of the Athletic Federation, Slobodan Brankovic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Zoran Jevtic, Deputy Chief of SAF General Staff Major General Milan Bjelica and Commandant of the Military Academy Major General Mladen Vuruna.

Minister Sutanovac pointed out that it was on the initiative of the Serbian Athletic Federation and based on the needs of the Serbian Armed Forces and the Military Academy that it has been concluded that there is capacity to build athletic hall to be used by military and civilian personnel, which is very important for the civil – military cooperation.

- We are pleased that it is yet another aspect of civil-military cooperation to adequately use the capabilities and capacities of the Serbian Armed Forces, and especially because we do a lot for the development of youth and sports, which are basic also for us, both for the Military Academy and the Serbian Armed Forces, the Defence Minister said expressing his satisfaction that the arena will be named after a young captain who decided with his friends officers to organise the Serbian Olympic Committee.

Minister Sutanovac said that one of the plans for the future development of the defence system is to include professional athletes in the training process of the Serbian Armed Forces and to enable them to become professional members of our military.

- In several countries, like Italy, Switzerland and Austria, the Ministry of Defence and Sports is one ministry. A large number of their Olympic athletes in skiing are actually the members of their armies, and we wish to have such a structure in the future, the Minister said, adding that those people who will be running under the Serbian flag as members of the Serbian Armed Forces, will be the future instructors of our younger members.

Construction project is funded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the land and the site is given by the Ministry of Defence.

The "General Svetomir Djukic" Athletic Hall is the first closed athletic hall in the region. It will spread on 7200 square meters and will have a seating capacity of 100 seats, four circular tracks and eight interior tracks in the direction of 60m. The arena consists of an administrative block, an official one for coaches and referees, and a block for athletes.

The construction begins in June and completion is expected at the end of 2013.Designer of the athletic hall is the design company "Centroprojekt" with the assistance of the Infrastructure Department of the Ministry of Defence and Infrastructure Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

ANSWER TO THE JOURNALIST'S QUESTION

The Minister, answering the journalist's question, said that thanks to the well-thought-out action of media regarding the professionalization of the Serbian Armed Forces, the promotion of the Military Academy and the University of Defence, he expects this year to be a record one both by the number of candidates and quality candidates who are entering Academy this year.

- I expect that the generation of cadets who enroll in the Military Academy is one of the best in the history of the Serbian Armed Forces. It is our wish to continue this trend, and I wish to thank everyone who helped us in promotion, especially the media, because without that support we would hardly be able to bring closer our military and military academy to young people throughout Serbia, the Minister said adding that this year more than 1200 young men competed to enrol in the Military Grammar School which probably makes it the most favourable secondary school in Serbia and the region.