Kanjiža/Novi Sad, 22 July - President of the AP Vojvodina Assembly Balint Juhász attended today the ceremonial unveiling of “The Wrestler” statue in front of the Vojvodina Wrestling Academy in Kanjiža.
President Juhász stressed the importance of wrestling in this region, given the fact that this sport is deeply rooted in our tradition, as some of the best and most successful European and world wrestlers originated from Vojvodina.
“In Vojvodina, as well as in the Vojvodina Hungarian community, wrestling is not just a sport. It is a way of life. We are proud of the fact that wrestling has been one of the most popular sports in this area. The statue that was unveiled today should be a remainder to us all that persistence and fight always bring results”, President Juhász stated.
President Juhász indicated the symbolic meaning of unveiling the statue on this particular date, reminding the audience of 22 July 1465, when the Hungarian and Serbian army stopped the Ottoman army in the Siege of Belgrade, then Nándorfehérvár. Led by Hunyadi János, or Janko Sibinjanin, Serbs and Hungarians jointly defended their homeland and stopped the spreading of the Ottoman Empire in this territory for the following 70 years, allowing a period of peace and overall development of the western part of Europe.
“The Wrestler” statue is the work of Vass Szabolcs, an artist form Mali Iđoš. It will decorate the yard of the Vojvodina Wrestling Academy in Kanjiža, opened in 2021 with the support of the Hungarian Government. Founders of this sport centre are the Municipality of Kanjiža, Hungarian National Council and Hungarian Wrestling Academy “Kozma István”.
Also present at the statue unveiling were Németh Szilárd, president of the Hungarian Wrestling Federation, Balint Pasztor, deputy and head of the Deputies’ Group and Željko Trajković, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Sport.