Yesterday, a humanitarian table tennis tournament was held in the old Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Chicago, and all proceeds will be used to purchase equipment and gear for young competitors of “Perućica” from Foča, once champions of Yugoslavia and a club from which many national team members and medal winners have emerged. Among them is Nada Kujundžić, who was also a special guest at the tournament.
The Serbian community from Chicago once again showed solidarity when it was most needed, so the otherwise traditional tournament gathered a record number of participants – as many as 35 competitors were registered, and local priests also joined in.
THE TOURNAMENT SUCCEEDED, HUMANITY WON: A detail from the final match
Not only did they join, but Archpriests Nemanja Tešić and Dragan Arsić also demonstrated enviable skill in sending the ping-pong ball over the net, as evidenced by the footage you can watch later in the text.
All together, including the widely known orchestra “Tamburitza,” which encouraged the competitors with song and music, contributed to fulfilling the goal; the diaspora and the homeland were once again connected, and the collected funds will help a great club from a small town continue its rich tradition of working with youth and producing new champions.
This was also emphasized in a conversation with Serbian Times by Nada Kujundžić, the legendary player and coach of “Perućica”:
“I am overjoyed that we gathered and showed that together we can do anything. This tournament will be a great encouragement for us to continue quality work and provide our children with what they deserve. More than the money, that feeling means a lot to us – that in Chicago we have someone of our own who thinks of us and is always ready to help us. Thank you to the wonderful people from the church, thank you to everyone who competed and contributed to making this tournament so successful. We would love for our friends from Chicago to be our guests at the tournament in Foča next year,” said Kujundžić, who reminded that the greatest club success of “Perućica” was achieved in 1987, when they played the final of the largest European club competition, the Nancy Evans Cup.
Nada was a national team member of SFR Yugoslavia and a medal winner, and was once proclaimed an Olympic hopeful, but the civil war in the former Yugoslavia cut short great dreams.
Since 2003, she has revived the work of the club, and she was also the head coach of the women’s senior national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a member of the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At this tournament, there were no cash prizes, which all participants renounced in advance for humanitarian purposes, in favor of the table tennis club from Foča.
Still, it is fitting to mention the champions, who on this occasion received symbolic trophies and diplomas.
In the singles competition, it was Dejan Kuljanin, who in the final, after a great battle, defeated Goran Petričević. Kuljanin won a double crown because in the doubles competition, together with his godfather Miroslav Radović, he defeated Nada Kujundžić and Peđa Anđelković in the final.
CHAMPION STYLE: Nada Kujundžić with winner Kuljanin (left) and finalist Petričević
“I am happy about the two championship titles, but even more so because the tournament, despite the absence of cash prizes, gathered the largest number of competitors ever. As a community, we showed that we are united and solidary when there is a need to help someone, which is why I am proud of everyone who came today,” emphasized Dejan Kuljanin (46), who, as president of the church-school board, was also the main organizer of the tournament.
He thanked everyone who responded and registered for the tournament, parishioners of his own church as well as the Church of St. John the Baptist from Bellwood and the Church of St. Nicholas from Lyons, as well as the sponsors: ABC Bakery and Deli, D.S.D. Deli, and MDK Trucking, INC.
ALL TOGETHER FOR “PERUĆICA”: Participants renounced prizes for humanitarian purposes
Dejan Kuljanin also took the opportunity to invite all interested parties to join the church table tennis section, which has existed since 2018 and brings together all generations, and meets every Tuesday from 7 PM.
COMING SOON ON SERBIAN TIMES: Video report from the table tennis tournament in the old Church of the Resurrection in Chicago
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Source: Antonije Kovačević