Dear sportsmen, co- workers and shooting sport friends,
The year that is behind us has been an election year that prompted all of us to analyze the achieved in order to set the targets and to decide on activities for the coming period.
It is important to stress the following issues while recapitulating the 2009 achievements:
- 2009 was the first year of the Serbian Cup Program based on new rules that were agreed upon and supported by clubs. The first impressions and analysis show that this novelty is regarded as the positive move and that the qualification system stimulates the participants and contributes to better turnout at the competitions.
- We are very glad that the first Serbian Championship in Skeet took place in Novi Sad on October 10 and 11, thanks to the efforts of a couple of enthusiasts.
- On international level, in 2009 only the Grand Prix Competitions were held, since our facilities were reserved for the Universiade 2009, but, unfortunately, the shooting sport events were cancelled by the organizers at the last minute, together with some other optional sports. Quite a number of shooters took place in both Grand Prix 2009 Competitions – Cup of Europe and Belgrade International. More and more sportsmen, national selections and clubs, are preparing on our grounds, thanks to excellent conditions offered by our complex that is recognized as the official training centre of the ESC.
- Our shooters participated at the European Championship in Osijek and World Championship in Maribor; the senior selection were not at their best, but our junior shooter, Nemanja Smiljanic, at his international debut, took the 21st place in junior competition, as well as becoming the national champion, being only 15. Nemanja’s undisputed talent, his serious approach to sport and his diligence proved by his success, is the best confirmation of our Federation’s orientation and efforts that started three years ago through Shooting School. We are confident that our Federation will continue to find the ways and means to engage new young shooters, that being very hard to achieve in existing conditions, but we do hope that it is still manageable as it is an imperative for the future and development of this, as well as of other sports. The capacities, the prerequisite for this development, are present. In realization of the Ministry of Youth and Sport Program of involving of children and youth in sport, we have created the flyer that has been distributed among the school children of the 8th grade and secondary schools, to promote the clay target shooting and to increase the number of shooters. We also took part in Ministry of Youth and Sport event “What sport do you train in?” organized with the aim to familiarize the young population with the clay target shooting sport.
- ESC elected the new leader – Mr. Vladimir Lisin, prominent Russian businessman; in 2010 the ISSF elections will be held.
- Our Federation redesigned the existing web site, including the new photo gallery with number of photos to illustrate different events; also all the Almanacs starting from 2005 are now available at our web site www.claytarget.rs, as well as other important links and information.
I would like to use this opportunity to thank you all for the confidence shown in electing me as the first man of our Federation in next four year period. This represents the great responsibility as well. A lot has been achieved during the previous period, but it was not enough. As I have promised to the Assembly delegates, the next period will be dedicated to intensive efforts directed towards further development that would be possible only through joint works and efforts by all of us – shooters, clubs and team fellow-workers that I have chosen. Obviously, we have to work hard, within our bounds and knowledge to develop and improve the clay target shooting sport. Our priorities are as follows:
- To establish the junior selection and to incorporate this selection into important international competitions with the aim to have the representative at the London Olympic Games;
- With senior selection it is our aim to participate at the important international competitions and to improve their results with the same strategic target as for the junior selection;
- To increase the number of shooters through new clubs and squads, with the prevailing role of cooperation with the Hunter’s Association of Serbia as the basis, representing the starting point of enrollment, especially for the young shooters;
- To involve the shooters into FITASC competitions
In 2011 there are two important international competitions: World and European Championships, which imply the serious preparation activities and close cooperation with the ESC and ISSF.
I would like to use this opportunity to invite the members of the Federation bodies but also all the domestic judges (referees) with license that participated in the organized workshop and were enabled to achieve this title in 2007, to take active part and show interest in those events, since the success of those events will be much better if we all work together.
Our Federation should use the period that is in front of us to accomplish the numerous duties and to perform with extremely serious and sophisticated team work in order to gain the respectable place on international level both for our country and for our shooting sport. For that we do have both the personal capacity and potential, but we must not forget our priorities and stay objective in connection with the strategic and tactical aspects of the allocated targets.
Yours sincerely,
