Zagreb Meeting Monograph Promotion and Recognition Awards Presentation
The 60th anniversary of the oldest annual sporting competition in Zagreb was marked by a nice ceremony and reception at Zagreb’s Four Points by Sheraton Panorama Hotel.
To keep the six decades of this beautiful athletics tradition from fading into oblivion, the Croatian Athletics Federation and the Organizing Committee of this year’s Meeting led by Meeting Director Ivana Brkljacic published a monograph titled Hanzekovic Memorial: 60 Years and presented special recognition awards to the most deserving.
The editor Marin Sarec and authors Milka Babovic, Nikola Turk and Hrvoje Sliskovic shared their memories and impressions of this competition on 56 lavishly laid out pages.
The event started out as a club duel, which was supposed to make up for the lack of competitions for the then large number of athletes from 11 clubs. And this summer, at its 60th anniversary, it shone bright in the world of one-day athletics meetings as one of the IAAF World Challenge Meetings, only one step away from the top – the Diamond League.
On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, the Organizing Committee of the Zagreb Meeting presented special recognition awards to persons and institutions that the Meeting largely owes its existence and present status to.
Recognition award recipients:
Nikola Turk
– participant of the first 110m hurdles Boris Hanzekovic Memorial Race, long-time organizer and referee at the Meeting
Milka Babovic
– former prominent athlete and Meeting participant and afterwards TV journalist, who reported from the Meeting for many years
Zarko Susic (posthumously)
– athletics coach and official and reporter from the first 59 editions of the Meeting
Djurdja Focic Sourek
– successful athlete and long-time sporting official working for the City of Zagreb, who has been involved in the organization of the Meeting for years
Andrija Mijacika (posthumously)
– Secretary General of the Zagreb Sports Association and Meeting Director, at whose time the Zagreb Meeting achieved Grand Prix status
Zvonimir Vrancic
– athletics coach and starter, who was involved in the organization of the Meeting for years
Antun Vrdoljak
– IOC Member, thanks to whom the Meeting was still held during the war in Croatia
Marijan Hanžekovic
– member of the Boris Hanzekovic family and a Meeting donor
Milan Bandic
– as Mayor of Zagreb, he has been providing logistics support for years
Blanka Vlasic
– holder of the most valuable result in the history of the Meeting, most deserving for the full stadium
Croatian Athletics Federation
– Meeting organizer until 1988 and from 2010 on
Zagreb Sports Association
– has been providing organization, staff and logistics for the Meeting since mid 90s of the 20th century
City Office for Education, Culture and Sport
– providing staff and logistics for the Meeting
Zagreb Tourist Board
– constant sponsor of the Meeting
Zagreb Athletics Association
– long-standing organizer and constant staff provider for the Meeting
