Posted on: 28 01 2025.

Press Conference Held for the Gold Belgrade Indoor Meeting

Ten candles on the cake and the prefix “golden.” Well deserved! Years of hard work, dedication, investments, and consistent efforts to elevate quality and participation have led to numerous international medals and earned the Serbian Athletics Federation and the Belgrade Indoor Meeting a status shared by only nine countries worldwide. As of 2025, the “Belgrade […]

Ten candles on the cake and the prefix “golden.” Well deserved! Years of hard work, dedication, investments, and consistent efforts to elevate quality and participation have led to numerous international medals and earned the Serbian Athletics Federation and the Belgrade Indoor Meeting a status shared by only nine countries worldwide. As of 2025, the “Belgrade Indoor Meeting” has been included in the prestigious gold-level series of meetings by World Athletics, placing Serbia’s capital among the elite nine indoor meetings globally.

The 10th anniversary of the Belgrade Indoor Meeting will be celebrated on January 29, 2025, at the Athletics Hall in Belgrade, where global athletics stars will gather. The “Gold Belgrade Indoor Meeting” will showcase the magic of athletics, featuring Serbian champions like the rising star Angelina Topić, legendary shot-putter Asmir Kolašinac, and one of today’s greatest athletes, Greek long-jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou.

To mark the occasion, a press conference was held at the Old Palace in Belgrade. Attendees included the Belgrade Secretary for Sports and Youth Nikola Penić, Serbian Athletics Federation Director Slobodan Branković, and athletes such as Angelina Topić, Asmir Kolašinac, and Ronnie Baker.

Belgrade Secretary for Sports and Youth Nikola Penić opened the event, welcoming the audience:
“As a former athlete, I’m proud that Belgrade is hosting the 10th Belgrade Indoor Meeting, one of the top nine indoor meetings worldwide. Both the Serbian Athletics Federation and Belgrade should be proud to host this event. I’d like to thank Asmir Kolašinac, a man who has marked Serbian and Belgrade sports for the past 15 years. Thank you for all the medals, and I hope you have a very successful post-sporting career.”

He added, “To all athletes, especially Serbian ones, I wish great success in the meeting, and to the organizers, smooth execution of the event.”

Slobodan Branković, Director of the Serbian Athletics Federation, emphasized the significance of this achievement:
“I want to thank the City of Belgrade for providing unprecedented support for the 10th edition of the meeting. The journey over the past nine editions has been challenging, but it has brought us to where we are now—one of the top nine indoor meetings in the world. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the government, the Ministry of Sports, the City of Belgrade, athletics professionals, and technical staff. I wish our athletes and international participants success, and I’m confident that we will once again be great hosts.”

Marko Ristov, Competition Director, provided additional details:
“We earned the gold status because we are now among nine cities with this privilege. Everything is on schedule as we prepare the arena for tonight’s training and tomorrow’s event. The program includes a national segment, followed by the international event, which will feature live broadcasts. Approximately 130 athletes from 50 countries will compete. I invite everyone to join us tomorrow and cheer for the athletes during what promises to be an exciting 2.5-hour event.”

Serbian athletics star Angelina Topić expressed her excitement:
“I’m thrilled to start the season here in my hometown, surrounded by friends, family, and the Belgrade audience. Competing here brings back memories of my first World Championships in Belgrade three years ago, where my career began. Since then, I’ve experienced many successes and challenges, but the energy of the home crowd has always been unique. I’m aiming to peak at the European and World Championships in March, and I’ll give my all at tomorrow’s meeting.”

Veteran shot-putter Asmir Kolašinac, who is retiring after this competition, shared his emotions:
“It’s been an honor to represent this country at the highest level. Tomorrow will be my final competition, and I hope the audience will enjoy watching me one last time. I’m excited but emotional, knowing this will be my farewell. I invite everyone to come and witness this memorable moment.”

American sprinter Ronnie Baker, a bronze medalist at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, also spoke:
“My goal this year is to qualify for the World Championships and win a medal. I’m excited to open my season tomorrow, aiming for a time of 6.50 or even 6.40. Last year’s season was decent, but I’m hoping for much better results this time.”

The event will be broadcast live on TV Arena 1 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM.