Jevrosimovic: You will see the greatness of athletics in Arena, tickets for the European championship are almost sold out (PHOTO)

European indoor Championship is dangerously close - athletic spectacle in Belgrade Arena will last for three days, from 3rd to 5th of March.

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President of the Athletic Association of Serbia Veselin Jevrosimovic, visiting the morning program on "Happy" television presented, for a start, the impressive data that imply we are in for a great weekend in Arena.

- European Championships in front of us is the most numerous and the largest single competition ever organized in Serbia. There will be 800 athletes, 2,500 people in their escorts, from 49 countries. More than 600 journalists will arrive, for example, an entire British "BBC" will come. There are also 450 volunteers, 300 people in security, because if security is the right place, then everything else is as well - said President of ASS.

He explained what makes this championship the biggest organizational challenge so far.

- The process of building is the most complex ever in the Arena. The whole athletic floor was erected 3.5 meters. As for TV transmission, athletics is the most complicated. In water polo, basketball, you have only one "cube" for monitoring, there are nine "cubes" for nine live broadcasts simultaneously, and viewers don't notice that. This is a complex project, where you have remote results reading. Athletics is an expensive sport, and when you see what is behind the competition, understand the size and weight of the sport, you understand that it's not "queen of sports" for nothing.

Foto: Marko Todorović

When it comes to tickets for the championship, Jevrosimovic says that they are sold out.

- Tickets are sold out. Half of the Arena was sold three months ago, most of the cards are then purchased by foreigners. I have been dealing with tickets only for the past few days, everybody is asking if there is more - said the first man of Serbian athletics.

Thanks to the success of our athletes in the past few years, "the queen of sports" is back in Serbia in all its glory.

- Athletics is a infrastructural sport. Eight years ago when we Slobodan Brankovic and I arrived, athletics was literally on his knees. Since then ten stadiums and two halls were built. This athletic track from the Arena moves to Cuprija, so we will have a third hall. All this makes us the most developed in the region. We are talented nation for sport. If you have talent, and the profession as athletic trainers, and our organization as a Union, it can only give results - said Jevrosimovic.

Foto: Marko Todorović

Serbia doesn't have only one successful athlete.

- We have many successful athletes, which we never had. The forefront Ivana Spanovic, she is the leader. I do not want to burden my athletes with medals. Differences in competitions are often in millimeters, fractions of a second, how the wind blows. We are working hard to enable them to be in the best shape, and to show what they know best on the field. Only when the contest ends, then we analyze. 

Jevrosimović pointed out that the most interesting athletic competitions for live viewing is precisely in indoor conditions.

He revealed whats the situation is with Emir Bekric, who unfortunately will not compete in the Arena, and with Asmir Kolasinac, who was compelled to pass Balkaniada held last week:

- Emir Bekric had two or three injuries and was unable to train at full capacity. He is preparing for the summer season, training in the Czech Republic, ASS enabled him all the conditions to get back in shape. This is sport, his discipline is one of the most difficult, and there is strong competition. Asmir isn't hurt, but he felt some tightening, so we decided it was better to skip Balkaniad. Here we have won nine medals, considering that five serious candidates did not perform. Immediately after Greece we are the most successful with nine medals, and we are serious athletic power.

Athletics is more and more important in Serbia, each year.

- I like to say that the athletics is a movement. Today you can not imagine a single media without something about athletics. Our goal is to popularize it. It is now a massive, eight years ago, we had 3.500 registered athletes, now there are more than 15,000. Athletics schools are not included in the registration. We promote athletics as a sport for a healthy life, which can be practiced by virtually all. Children of three years are coming to school, and I suggest that all parents should take the children to athletics first as the basic sport - concluded for the end Veselin Jevrosimovic.

(Telegraf.co.uk)