Veljko Raznatovic, son of the famous folk singer Ceca, achieved a big success by winning a bronze medal at the European Boxing Championship. But was that enough to get a national pension? Nope! Even though boxing is an Olympic sport, the category Veljko competed in is not Olympic, so the state did not recognize his right to a pension. Yes, you read that right — a European bronze, but no pension!
Veljko is almost two meters tall and trains every day, but his 86-kilogram category is not Olympic, while the Olympic categories are 71, 80, 92, and super heavyweight. Because of this, despite winning bronze, he did not receive a national pension, only a symbolic award of 5,000 dinars, which he immediately decided to give to a child who needs it more.
Instead of enjoying his sports achievements, Veljko turned to agriculture and pig farming, which is his great passion. He openly admitted that being famous made many things harder in his career and that he would be more recognized as a boxer if he were not the son of famous parents. He also revealed that in the past he enjoyed nightlife, gambling, and music, but now he decided to lead a quieter life in the hometown of his wife Bogdana, in Titel.
This situation sheds light on the absurd criteria for awarding national pensions to athletes in Serbia. How is it that a medal from the European Championship is not enough? Is the system fair, or is it just another proof that athletes who are not in the most popular categories or sports are treated as second-class citizens? Veljko proves that success is measured not only by medals but also by the fight against bureaucracy and obstacles set by the state.
If you think this is yet another example of talent and effort being ignored, you’re not alone. What do you think — should Veljko get the national pension, or is the system right? Drop a comment and let’s see who’s for and who’s against!
