Udovicic: Serbia to be worthy host of European championships

BELGRADE - Serbia will be a worthy host of the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships, to be held in Belgrade, Serbia's Minister of Youth and Sport Vanja Udovicic said on Monday.

We are very honoured by the fact that we have been awarded the European Championships but, at the same time, it is a major responsibility, particularly in athletics, which is not so popular in Serbia, Udovicic said.

Three years of hard work are ahead of us, and I sincerely hope that we will show that we are a true host nation, just as we have shown in other sports in which we have hosted events, the minister of sport said.

The president of the Athletics Federation of Serbia Veselin Jevrosimovic said that he is pleased that Serbia has been entrusted with hosting this major event and pointed out that the Belgrade Arena meets all the requirements for it to be held there.

"This is a major victory, not only for Serbian sport but for our country as well," Jevrosimovic said.

At a meeting held on May 3 in Frankfurt, the European Athletics decided to award Belgrade the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Fending off competition from Poland and Turkey, Serbia got nine votes - a large majority - with Poland and Turkey receiving five and three votes respectively.

Photo Tanjug Video