Serbia breaking the curse of trophies and medals in 2016: Will the most important one come in a month? (VIDEO)

Nothing is impossible when it happens. These words of the famous fighter against apartheid Nelson Mendela picture the nature of life and sports. Just as in life, in sports as well, anything is possible if you work long enough on it.

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We come across with the phrases in the last few years  "He only needs this medal" or " He has never won that title".

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LONG AWAITED DREAMS 

This 2016 year has broken many, so to say, curses, or a bit more nicer, has accomplished many long term wishes.

Of course, there are some that we hope will come to become true this year.

1. MILOS TEODOSIC - EVROLEAGUE 

Waiting period - six years

First big thing that has been accomplished this year is winning of Evroleague by CSKA and the captain of basketball Serbian national team Milos Teodosic. 

He has tried for years, lost two finals, and the stories started circling that he will never get that most important club trophy. Milos succeeded getting to the trophy, and there is no doubt that he will win it a few more times.

Foto: Profimedia

2. NOVAK DJOKOVIC - ROLAND GARROS 

Waiting period - four years (since the first final)

After that, another curse has been removed, this time Novak Djokovic finally won Roland Garros, its the only Grand Slam that he has been missing and that he has been chasing for years. He has lost three finals.

He first played and lost against Nadal in 2012. and other two in 2014 and 2015 he lost from Nadal and Wawrinka. He first played several times in semifinals, so you could say he has been waiting for The Musketeers' Cup almost since 2010.

However, he now waits for the appearance in Rio where he can achieve historical gold.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

3. IVANA SPANOVIC - GOLD ON EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Waiting period - four years

After few silver and bronze medals on big competitions, Ivana Spanovic came to the gold medal on the European Championship (she has gold from the closed hall tournament) which is considered the strongest competition of the continent.

Her success started in 2013 with getting to 5th place in the closed European Championship and the third place in the World Championship in Moscow. Then she won bronze in 2014 on closed World Championship and silver in open European Championship. 

Year later, in 2015 Ivana won gold on European and then bronze medal in World Championship in Beijing.

Foto: Marko Todorović

The crown arrived this year with winning of gold medal on the European Championship in Amsterdam.

However, what is waited for is the Olympic medal, which Serbian sport has never won on the Olympic games, if we do not count Franjo Mihalic who won silver medal under the flag of Yugoslavia in Montreal 1956.

4. VOLLEYBALL - WORLD LEAGUE 

Waiting period - 13  years (first time in the finals 2003)

Serbian volleyball players have been waiting the longest to accomplish their goal - winning the World League. Generations started this trip, but they could not finish it, until this year when the selector Nikola Grbic took over the team. He himself has been playing in four finals and lead one as a selector. 

This year they managed and that is their reward for not succeeding to qualify for the Olympic games.

Foto: AP/Tanjug

5. BASKETBALL - OLYMPIC GAMES

Waiting period - 12 years

Finally will Serbian basketball players, who were always the pride of the nation, play on the Olympic games. 

After 12 years of waiting and tries in vain, the team lead by the selector Aleksandar Djordjevic managed to accomplish the dream of this generation.

All that is left now is to try to prepare the best they can and to get to the medals.

Foto: Marko Todorović

WHAT'S AHEAD OF US THIS YEAR?

However, by the end of this year Serbian athletes could down two more curses.

1. WATER POLO - GOLD ON THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Waiting period - 12 years

Serbian water polo players, more precisely, this generation will be the most successful team in the history if they get to the gold medal in Rio. What they have been waiting for 12 years, generations of Sapic, Vujasinovic, Ikodinovic, Savic etc, and they were the gold generations.

Maybe we will attend in a month another feat when Prlainovic, Nikic, Filipovic, Pijetlovic, Aleksic, and other boys, lead by the selector Savic fulfill the dream of the generation. They are the world champions, the European champions, the only thing left is that gold.

Foto: Marko Todorović

2. FC RED STAR - CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Waiting period - 23 years

This is one of the longest dreams of Serbian athletes. Red Star has never played in the Champions league in this group format. Last time they have played the competition it was named European champions cup and that was in 1993.

Red Star had a symbolic number of attempts to enter the Champions league, five times so far. This is the sixth attempt to reach the strongest competition in Europe. Will they succeed, we will find out in August.

Foto: Crvenazvezdafk.com

(Telegraf.co.uk)