Nina and Julija from Strpce rack up successes at Brezovica Karate Club

Hard work, discipline and perseverance are just some of the values karate teaches young people. Fourteen-year-olds Nina Jovanovic and Julija Djurinac from Strpce, members of the Brezovica Karate Club, have been achieving success in competitions for years, regularly returning home with medals and trophies. They have already won more than 20 medals each, while new goals, competitions and dreams of earning a black belt lie ahead.

Nina Jovanovic has practiced karate since the age of seven. She says she is pleased that many of her friends are also involved in the sport.

“I’ve been practicing karate for seven and a half years. I chose this sport because my sister also practiced karate and was very happy with it. My first training sessions were not particularly easy because I did not really know what to expect. Things gradually got better, and many of my school friends also started training. There are currently a lot of us at training sessions, and many children are interested in joining. Karate teaches children self-confidence and concentration,” Nina told Kosovo Online.

Her first competitions and medals soon followed, and today she has more than 20 medals in her collection.

“The first competition I took part in was in Kosovska Mitrovica, where I finished second. I did not expect to win a medal because I was very young. I improved over time, and so far I have won more than 20 medals. I have competed at many tournaments in Raska and Belgrade, at the Nippon Top Ten competition, as well as in Leposavic and Zubin Potok,” Jovanovic said.

She is also quick to credit coach Marko Markovic for her achievements, saying that he provides the young athletes with unwavering support and motivation.

“I am very happy with the conditions at the club where I train, and I am particularly grateful to our coach, Marko Markovic, who supports us and motivates us to keep training. I currently have a green belt, and this year I will take the examination for my purple belt. My goal is to earn a black belt and become a coach one day,” Jovanovic said.

Her school friend Julija Djurinac, who also holds a green belt, joined the Brezovica Karate Club at around the same time.

Like Nina, she was inspired and motivated to take up the sport by her older sisters, who had joined the club before her.

“I’ve been practicing karate since I was seven. I started because my older sisters were already training, so I wanted to join them and win as many medals as possible. The first training sessions were quite difficult because I knew nothing about the sport. My sisters helped me and showed me the moves, so it became easier over time. I have a green belt and will take the examination for my purple belt. I have more than 20 medals, and my favorite competition was in Leposavic, where I won the trophy for best female karate competitor,” Djurinac said.

She says she particularly enjoys competitions because they bring together large numbers of children.

“At larger competitions, such as the one in Belgrade, more than 300 children from different countries take part. One such competition is organized by karate competitor Tanja Petrovic. I have competed at tournaments in Belgrade, Raska and Kosovska Mitrovica and have mostly won gold medals. My first competition was in Kosovska Mitrovica, where I won first and second place. I was very happy because I did not have much experience at the time,” Djurinac said.

She says karate has helped her become more self-confident, which is why she encourages other children to take up the sport.

“Karate has taught me self-confidence, but also how to handle situations in everyday life and protect ourselves. I would encourage every child to take up karate,” Djurinac said.

The Brezovica Karate Club, where the two successful young athletes train, was founded in 2000 and is the most decorated sports club in the municipality of Strpce.