2023 was indeed a year to remember for the Macedonian Volleyball family. The successful delivery of the CEV EuroVolley 2023 Men Pool C matches, the progression to the top 16 in Europe for the men’s national team and an undivided feeling among every participant in such a volleyball fairy tale – Macedonian Volleyball has literally broken new ground and risen to unprecedented heights, thus creating a valuable legacy for the years ahead.
This success story was recognised by the Agency for Youth and Sports, which at the end of each year traditionally awards prizes to the most successful athletes, coaches, teams, and federations from the Balkan country. And this year, two awards were given to the men’s volleyball national team – and according to everyone, these are well-deserved. They claimed the accolade for the best team of 2023, because their appearance in the Round of 16 of the CEV EuroVolley 2023 and the matchup with eventual silver medal winners Italy in Bari were ranked as the greatest result achieved by the Balkan country across all team sports in 2023. And the Volleyball Federation was declared the most successful Macedonian sports federation – following the successful organisation of the EuroVolley Pool C matches.
“We are all happy at the end of a year in which we worked the most, we feared the most because of the challenge and responsibility we had on our shoulders, but we also rejoiced the most because we did achieve our goals. I hope that we have not betrayed the CEV’s trust, and I thank our Luxembourg colleagues from the bottom of my heart for the help they gave us. That is why I think the success is shared, and that gives us additional hope to set new goals and achieve them.”
Zoran Karanović
Secretary General of the Volleyball Federation of North Macedonia
“For me, before the CEV EuroVolley 2023, Macedonian Volleyball had three goals. The first was the result of the team on the court, and that goal has been fully achieved. The second, to be good organisers, thereby justifying the support we received from the entire CEV team, which I also think we did. And the third, to strengthen the authority of the Federation in our country, in our communication with all institutions, so that in the future we can join in large projects and realise our long-term goals. We still must work on this. Anyway, 2023 was unforgettable, but only if we understand it as a basis for what will follow,” is the statement of the press officer of the Macedonian national team, Toni Stojanovski.
What is behind becomes now a memory, tomorrow is uncertain, so everything should be done in the present time. That is why the Macedonian Volleyball family has already started to define their goals for the next eight years. The road is difficult, but the first step has been taken. TEAM MKD believes that after a challenging, yet memorable 2023, everything will be easier.