March 6, 2020 – At the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments, the Split Sports Federation officially proclaimed the winners of the Annual Award, this time for 2019, which is a long-standing tradition of this umbrella sports association in the city of Split.
Dalmacija Danas reports that in the presence of many people from the sports, cultural and social milieu of Split, the ceremony was opened by Neno Periš, President of the SSŠ, Mate Omazić, Mayor for Social Affairs of the City of Split and Envoy of Mayor Andro Krstulović-Opara and President of the City Council, Igor Stanišić.
It was followed by a song by Klapa Šufit and soprano Ivana Bosančić Lasić, accompanied by Zoran Velić on piano.
The selection of all the winners was made by the Executive Board of SSŠ at the proposal of the Awards Committee.
In the competition of eight nominated female athletes, Klara Kovač of the Taekwondo Club Marjan was selected as the Most Promising Female Split Athlete for 2019, after winning 2nd place at the European Championship for the younger seniors up to 21 years in the 53 kg category. In addition to the award, Klara received a laptop as a donation from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Split.
The most promising male Split athlete for 2019 was Franko Grgić from the Jadran Swimming Club, in the competition of five nominated athletes. Franko Grgić won 2 gold medals in the 1500 and 800 m freestyle at the World Junior Championships. He set the world junior record in 1500m freestyle. At the European Youth Olympic Games (EYOF) he won 2 gold medals in the 1500m and 400m freestyle. He sailed 2 Olympic standards for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (1500 and 800 m freestyle). He placed 2nd in the selection for the International Piotr Nurowski Award for Best Young European Athlete in 2019 in the selection of the European Olympic Committees. He won 2 Drazen Petrovic awards from the Croatian Olympic Committee: for the greatest hope of Croatian sport and for the most successful young athlete in 2019. Franko Grgić also received a laptop as a gift from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Split.
In the competition of four nominated teams for the best Split women’s team for 2019, the Split Women’s Football Club was selected, who won the championship and the Croatian Cup.
For the best Split men’s team for 2019, the Executive Board decided to select two teams out of four nominees. For the third time in a row, the Mertojak Bowling Club was selected as the best men’s team, after winning the Europa Cup for the second consecutive time and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League (and again this year in the continuation of the competition and in the semi-finals, scheduled for March 28 in Apatin). They won the Croatian Cup and the 2nd place in the Croatian Championship. In addition to Mertojak, the water polo club Jadran, who placed 3rd place in the Croatian Championship and was the semi finalist of the Croatian Cup, was named the best men’s team. They also placed 11th in the Champions League group stage.
For the best coach of the women’s and men’s categories in the competition of 10 (female) and 9 (male) nominated candidates, Toni Tomas, coach of Taekwondo Club Marjan, was named the winter.
The Executive Board of the Split Sports Association of Disabled Athletes selected Anđela Mužinić as the best female athlete, who is a member of the NEC Split table tennis club, which won 3rd place individually and was the 1st place team at the European Table Tennis Championship, while Dino Sinovčić was selected as the best male athlete and is a member of the Cipal Swimming Club. Dino won 1st place in the 100m backstroke.
At the end of this remarkable sporting event, the best athlete and athlete of the City of Split was declared for 2019.
In the competition of 11 nominated athletes, Matea Jelic of the Taekwondo Club Marjan was named the best female, after qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. She won 3rd place in the European Championship in the category up to 67 kg and won 1st place in the final in China. She finished the year in 3rd place in the Olympic rankings and in 2nd place in the world rankings.
The best male comes from Marjan Taekwondo Club – Toni Kanaet. Toni qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He won 2nd place in the European Championship in the 80 kg category. Only six of the top 2074 athletes in that category were placed in the Olympic Games category.
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