Vanja Grbić has never hesitated to say what he thinks and to criticize what is not right. Because of this, he often suffered consequences, but he always remained on the side of truth and justice.
In the Captain podcast on the “Albatros News” channel, the celebrated volleyball national team player Vanja Grbić spoke about winning the Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, but also about the camp he has been leading for years, through which hundreds of children pass in every shift.
In the new episode, he also touched upon the question of what a child needs most to successfully engage in sports, as well as what is crucial at the moment when, in their teenage years, they show a desire to develop professionally. He also opened a dilemma – who actually “unlocks” a child to become a top athlete.
He cited examples of historically extremely important figures not only in Serbian sports, but in overall history as well. Some of them changed the image of Europe, and even the entire planet.
One of the questions related to the state of Serbian volleyball. Since 2019, the men’s national team has not recorded significant results, while in the younger categories, they are in decline. Grbić points out that this is not a question for him, but for the people who make decisions in Serbian volleyball, but he emphasizes that talent has not disappeared.
“We are a nation whose ancestors crossed Albania and returned via Thessaloniki. The English on horses and the French could not catch up with them. That cannot be lost, that is in us, it is just sleeping. A commander is needed who will wake it up. The Serbian soldier fears hunger and the commander; I said that to the Romanian selector Crețu as well. You have to make him respect you and be hungry for success. If you keep him in that state, there is no opponent. For two thousand years we have been fighting everyone, including each other, and proving ourselves is our way of life,” Grbić said.
Then he hit the target right on.
“If you put it in context it can work, but Pera the postman cannot lead your army. It must be Živojin Mišić, and what do we do with him? We retire him after the Balkan Wars. We our whole lives… Tesla did not enter the Academy of Sciences, we drive away Novak Đoković. We are the best at burying the living because they offend the average who chipped in through compromise. We all know that, but ‘You know, f*** it, I had to.’ ‘Eat sh*t.’ The future of this country depends, sports among other things, on how much we invest in our children,” says the celebrated Serbian Olympian.
He adds that the key is in the right leadership:
“Not just anyone can lead a system. Pera the postman cannot lead the army – Živojin Mišić is needed. And what do we do with such people? We retire them too early. We do the same in other fields – Tesla was not recognized, we dispute Đoković. As a society, we often hinder the best because they bother the average. We all know that, but we justify it with compromises. The future of this country, and even sport, depends on how much we invest in children,” the Olympic champion said.
Speaking about his path after the end of a rich playing career, he explained why he dedicated himself to work in sports. He was a candidate for the president of the Volleyball Federation in 2016, worked as a professor at the Faculty of Physical Education, and today runs a camp for young volleyball players.
“I don’t want to be remembered as someone who only looked out for himself. That’s not me. God gave me everything I have and I don’t know why exactly to me. What I can do is show gratitude every day – by giving my maximum and investing in the generations to come,” Grbić concluded.
Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Printscreen YouTube