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And the winner is Aleksa Tamindžić ©SuisseGas Belgrade Marathon
The 21st SMOKI SMOKIĆ CHILDREN’S MARATHON HELD AT THE „GARDEN OF GOOD HOPE“ (Belgrade Zoo) – And the winner is Aleksa Tamindžić
The 21st Smoki Smokić Children's Marathon took place on Saturday, April 12th, drawing a line under 330,000 participants who took part in it over the previous years. It is not a phrase to say that all those who participated are the winners, as from the very start in their lives they took a route of heath.
Those who are more successful than their pre-school peers, earn a place in the finals at the "Garden of Good Hope". That was the case this year as well. A total of 136 competitors selected from 16,000 pre-schoolers from all Belgrade's kindergartens who took part in this year's qualifications and divided into 12 groups found themselves at the start today. The winner of each group went on to the Super final of this year's 21st Smoki Smokić Children's marathon.
The first amongst the equals was Aleksa Tamindžić. The boy from the kindergarten "Cvrcak" clocked 38 seconds for a convincing triumph at the course 230 m long which goes around elephants, camels, kangaroos, ostriches… He was followed by Dušan Marković ("Naša deca") and Marko Starčević ("Slavuj"). The traditional title of the Super-snail awarded to the last-ranked finalist went to Dunja Radovanović ("Rakita Kotarov Vuka").
Snežana Đurić, the Secretary for Education and Children's Welfare Department, said that the Belgrade City Assembly supported all activities that positively influence the spirit and health of the children such as the 21st Smoki Smokić Children's Marathon.
– These activities are taking place the year round and that is one of the reasons why children are prepared for the competition today. Here, today, all children are the winners and it is only because the rules say so someone has to be the fastest eventually. However, I am confident that several very successful future athletes are hiding among the Children's marathon participants. The Department of Education and Children's Welfare will continue to dedicate their attention to the development of physical culture, as it allows our children to develop their athletic spirit, spend time outdoors and socialize.
This is how we will contribute to our youngest citizens growing up in healthy individuals. Pre-schools pay much attention to sports activities. The Department of Education and Children's Welfare have always helped and supported this event and will continue to do so in the future – said Snežana Đurić.
The awards for those who have been a little more successful than others were presented by: the City Secretary of Education and Children's Welfare – Snežana Đurić, the winner of the last year's Smoki Smokić Children's Marathon – Nikola Sudimac, the representative of the title sponsor Company Soko Štark – the Smoki Smokić mascot, the representative of UNICEF - Vesna Savić Đukić and representative of UNIQA Insurance – Sonja Marić
On the occasion of the 21st Smoki Smokić Children's marathon the Belgrade marathon director, the organizer of this Event, Dejan Nikolić said: Athletics, as a sport, should be proud to have such a good opportunity to so closely cooperate with Belgrade's Department of Education and Children's Welfare and be able to animate kids aged 5-6 years and present them and theirs parents the value of athletics. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund – long term partner and Athletics federation of Serbia are supporting the Event as well – said Nikolić.
At the conclusion Dejan Nikolić mentioned that European athletics, in 2006, through "European Athletics Support Programme" supported a programme "Lets start with sports" as a sports school for children seven to nine years-old that grew out of the Belgrade Children's marathon as a way of giving youngsters a chance to be involved in athletics and develop their skills from an early age.
Dejan Nikolić
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbp5hnGyjHk&list=UURKzeb5lFJtjfJxwMNChIkQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EscSxbKUyPg
