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<\/p>\nHow European experience and standards can contribute to greater participation of girls in sport, stronger health and mental support for female athletes, and greater visibility of women\u2019s sport were among the key topics of the conference \u201cEuropean Practices for the Home Field: Standards and Perspectives of Women\u2019s Sport in Serbia\u201d, held at Europe House in Belgrade, with the support of WMG Foundation as a partner.<\/p>\n
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Organised as part of the European Week of Sport in cooperation with the Olympic Committee of Serbia and the Ministry of Sport, the conference brought together representatives of sports institutions and federations, female athletes, experts, media representatives and members of the business community.<\/p>\n
Opening the conference, Irena Petrovi\u0107, Director of WMG Foundation, emphasised that investing in women\u2019s sport means investing in healthier, more independent and more confident generations of girls and young women.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur female athletes have been achieving outstanding results for decades, winning medals and representing our country around the world. Their success shows how much talent we have and how far we can go,\u201d Petrovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n
She highlighted the importance of accessible infrastructure, high-quality training conditions, funding, development of coaching staff, balancing sport with education and other responsibilities, as well as greater visibility of female athletes\u2019 achievements.<\/p>\n
Ivana Maleti\u0107, Acting Assistant Minister for Sport of the Republic of Serbia, presented the objectives of the Sports Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2026 to 2035, which recognises women in sport through concrete goals and measures. One of the objectives is for women to account for at least 30 per cent of members of governing bodies of the relevant national sports federations by the end of 2028.<\/p>\n
Milena Reljin, Chair of the Women and Sport Commission of the Olympic Committee of Serbia, spoke about the importance of more balanced participation of women across all areas of sport, as athletes, coaches, referees, experts and decision-makers. She also pointed to the need for further research into the representation of women in managerial and coaching positions.<\/p>\n
Professor Dragan Atanasov, professor at the Faculty of Sport at Singidunum University and member of the Working Group for the Development of the Sports Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, presented European standards and the domestic framework for women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n
According to data presented at the conference, female athletes won 11 Olympic medals between 2012 and 2024, while they secured a total of 399 medals at major international competitions. Particular attention was given to retaining girls in sport, taking into account data showing that 61 per cent of girls stop participating in sport after the age of 15. The approach to results, support from coaches and parents, access to infrastructure and the overall experience of young female athletes during their development were identified as important factors.<\/p>\n
From the First Training Session to Leadership Positions<\/strong><\/p>\n The first panel focused on education and retaining girls in sport. Participants included Milena Reljin, Ru\u017ea Ili\u0107 Pavkov, Grassroots Football Manager at the Football Association of Serbia, and Milana Petrovi\u0107, Editor-in-Chief of the EUpravo zato portal.<\/p>\n Ru\u017ea Ili\u0107 Pavkov presented activities aimed at developing women\u2019s football, strengthening the female coaching base, involving former national team players in education programmes and increasing the participation of women in sports governance. She particularly highlighted the importance of educating all professionals who work with girls and women in sport.<\/p>\n Milena Reljin spoke about the transition of female athletes from competitive careers into professional, business and leadership roles, underlining the importance of additional education, practical knowledge and support for the development of leadership and management skills.<\/p>\n From the perspective of a parent whose children are actively involved in sport, Milana Petrovi\u0107 highlighted the importance of family support, accessible infrastructure and the ability to balance sporting commitments with school and other responsibilities. The panel concluded that improving the position of women in sport requires support throughout the entire sporting journey, from the first training session to professional and leadership positions, alongside investment in education, mentorship and equal development opportunities.<\/p>\n Female Athletes\u2019 Health as Part of the Support System<\/strong><\/p>\n The second panel focused on health, injury prevention and mental support for female athletes. These topics were addressed by Vanja Kosti\u0107 from the \u201cChampions of Healthy Habits\u201d project of the Handball Federation of Serbia and sports psychologist Dr Marija Sre\u0107kov Pavlovi\u0107.<\/p>\n The discussion focused on the physical, mental and hormonal health of female athletes, injury prevention and education about healthy habits. Vanja Kosti\u0107 presented the approach of the \u201cChampions of Healthy Habits\u201d project, aimed at opening up topics relevant to the health of girls and female athletes and improving understanding of their specific needs.<\/p>\n Dr Marija Sre\u0107kov Pavlovi\u0107 spoke about the importance of support from coaches, families and expert teams, as well as the education of adults working with children. Particular attention was given to the role of coaches, who are often the first to notice changes in the behaviour of young athletes.<\/p>\n The panel highlighted the importance of a comprehensive approach to female athletes\u2019 health, education of coaches and professional teams, timely psychological support, and a greater volume of research and data on women in sport.<\/p>\n Greater Visibility of Women\u2019s Sport Creates New Opportunities for Investment<\/strong><\/p>\n The third panel focused on the promotion of women\u2019s sport, media representation and sponsorships. Participants included B92 sports journalist Nina Kolund\u017eija, SportIt Executive Director Tijana Popadi\u0107 and Andrijana Vasi\u0107 Nik\u010devi\u0107 from Visa, while the panel was moderated by Milana Petrovi\u0107.<\/p>\n The discussion addressed how female athletes are represented in public, the relationship between sporting performance and marketing potential, and the role of media and companies in increasing the visibility of women\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n Nina Kolund\u017eija highlighted the responsibility of the media in shaping the public image of female athletes and the importance of placing sporting results and professional achievements at the centre of reporting. Tijana Popadi\u0107 spoke about the role of marketing campaigns in attracting audience attention and in the long-term development of the image of athletes and brands.<\/p>\n The conference showed that the development of women\u2019s sport requires a connection between several areas, from the early inclusion of girls and quality training conditions, through education, health and mental support, to stronger representation of women in professional and governing structures.<\/p>\n European experience provides an important framework for developing solutions tailored to the domestic sports system, while greater visibility of women\u2019s sport creates further opportunities for investment, sponsorship and the professional development of female athletes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How European experience and standards can contribute to greater participation of girls in sport, stronger health and mental support for female athletes, and greater visibility of women\u2019s sport were among the key topics of the conference \u201cEuropean Practices for the Home Field: Standards and Perspectives of Women\u2019s Sport in Serbia\u201d, held at Europe House in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wmgfondacija.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/10.-1.jpg\")
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\nFormer handball player Svetlana Obu\u0107ina also joined the discussion, pointing to the importance of systemic support for female athletes, the development of basic motor skills in children and the opportunity for them to explore different sports and find the activity that suits them best.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wmgfondacija.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/18.-1.jpg\")
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