SHINING IN ITALY: Milica and Dejan Win Bronze Medals at World Massage Championship!

Competitors from Lebane and Medveđa achieved notable success at the World Massage Championship, held last weekend in the Italian city of Lecce. Milica Đorđević took third place in the Wellness & Spa category, along with a special award for Best Artistic Massage, while Dejan Đorđević finished third in the beginner category.

A team competing under the Serbian flag took part in the championship, bringing together six participants from Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Italy. Their performance was marked by several strong finishes and awards, while the team was organized by Marija Đorđević Marković, originally from Lebane, who lives and works in Italy. She also served as one of the judges at the competition. Serbia was also represented on the judging panel by Julijana Glišić.

In addition to the achievements of competitors from the Jablanica District, other team members also recorded notable results. Milan Šimrak from Montenegro won first place in sports massage, second place in the Freestyle category, as well as the Best Clinical Reasoning award.

Kate Stevkovska from North Macedonia won first place in the Wellness & Spa category and second place in the Body Shape category.

The team also included Marija Nikolić from Novi Sad and Ester Marin from Italy, whose participation contributed to the team’s overall performance.

Marija Đorđević Marković said she was particularly proud of the unity demonstrated by the six competitors from four countries.

“Every one of us is a winner. The greatest achievement is not just the medals we won, but the fact that we managed to bring together four countries, different cultures and six wonderful people into one team that breathed as one. I am proud of every single one of them because we showed that unity, love and support have no borders. We represented Serbia in the best possible light,” Marija Đorđević Marković said.

The results achieved in Italy represent significant recognition for the participants, as well as a source of pride for Lebane and Medveđa, the hometowns of the international award winners.