Residents of Prnjavor organized a ceremonial welcome for 3×3 street football world champions Dejan Živković, Duško Subić, Arsen Knežević, and Miloš Milijašević following their triumph at the World Championship in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The Prnjavor team claimed the world title after defeating Latvia 4–3 in extra time in the final.
Prnjavor Mayor Darko Tomaš said that simply earning the opportunity to compete at a world championship in any sport was a major achievement, making winning the title even more remarkable.
“Prnjavor has world champions and is proud of these guys. This result did not happen by chance. They have been training in football for decades, developing themselves and investing in what matters – sport,” Tomaš said.
He added that the players represent themselves, their sport, and their city in the best possible way.
“We are proud of them and their families,” Tomaš said.
Team member Aleksandar Njegnjić, who traveled with the squad to the World Championship, thanked fellow residents for the welcome and the media for following their success.
He said preparations for the tournament had been demanding and that the achievement was no coincidence, as the team had previously competed in a series of tournaments through which it secured a place at the world championship.
“To finish first among 28 teams and bring the gold medal back to Prnjavor is no small achievement. The guys gave everything they had and truly deserved it,” Njegnjić said.
Živković thanked everyone who helped make the trip to the competition possible, particularly Njegnjić, the City of Prnjavor, and Mayor Tomaš.
“Without them, this journey would not have been possible. We went there and achieved a result that nobody expected, not even us, but we believed more and more with every match,” Živković said.
He added that he was pleased Prnjavor had recognized their achievement and organized a homecoming celebration, and said the team plans to continue competing on the world stage.
Source: Glas Srpske
