SERBIA — The Galeb Summer Camp once again confirmed in 2026 why it has become one of Europe’s most established Taekwondo training camps. Now in its 31st edition, the programme brought together cadet, junior and senior athletes in Serbia, with representatives from around 50 countries and an international coaching staff led by renowned Serbian coach Dragan Jović.
The first stage of the camp took place in Vrnjačka Banja from 31 July to 6 August, with daily training sessions focused on technical, tactical and physical development for athletes of different ages and competitive levels.
Over several days, young athletes shared the mat with established high-performance competitors, reinforcing one of the key elements that has historically distinguished the Galeb Summer Camp: direct interaction between emerging generations and athletes who have already competed at the highest Olympic and World Championship level.
Three Categories, One Common Goal
The programme was structured for cadet, junior and senior athletes, with sessions adapted to the demands of each stage of development. Daily training included technical work, specific combat situations, tactical exercises, distance management, movement drills and different forms of sparring.
The format allowed athletes to accumulate a significant volume of work in a short period while also experiencing different international styles of Taekwondo.
With competitors from around 50 countries, every session became an international exchange of techniques, strategies and competitive approaches.
Dragan Jović and a 31-Year Tradition
At the centre of the project is Dragan Jović, one of the most respected coaches in the recent history of Serbian Taekwondo. For decades, Jović has built a high-performance structure closely linked to the Galeb Taekwondo Club and the Serbian national team.
Under his direction, athletes have developed into Olympic, World and European champions, making Galeb one of the most recognised high-performance environments in international Taekwondo.
His career is closely connected to some of Serbia’s greatest achievements in the sport, and the Galeb Summer Camp has gradually evolved from a national training gathering into an international meeting point for coaches, national teams and elite competitors.
Reaching 31 consecutive editions represents a remarkable level of continuity in the international Taekwondo calendar.
An International Coaching Staff
For the 2026 edition, Dragan Jović was joined by a group of invited coaches with extensive international experience.
Seyed Nemat Khalifeh, an Iranian coach with a long background in elite competitive Taekwondo; Reza Imanzadeh, another representative of the highly regarded Iranian coaching school. Among them were Jesús Ramal, a respected Spanish coach known for developing high-performance athletes; Suvi Mikkonen, Olympian and experienced international coach.
The combination of different coaching methods gave athletes the opportunity to train under multiple tactical interpretations of modern Taekwondo.
That variety was particularly valuable during a period in which the latest World Taekwondo competition rules are continuing to influence the rhythm and structure of elite matches.
Olympic Champions and World-Class Athletes on the Mat
One of the major attractions of the Galeb Summer Camp was once again the presence of athletes who have reached the highest level of international success.
Milica Mandić, a two-time Olympic champion for Serbia and one of the most important athletes in the history of Serbian Taekwondo, was present and shared her experience with the younger generations.
Also present was Viviana Márton, Paris 2024 Olympic champion, who has become one of the leading representatives of the new generation of European Taekwondo.
She was joined by athletes with major international achievements, including Luana Márton, a World Champion, as well as other competitors with World and Olympic medals.
Another major international figure connected with the activities was Zhao Shuai, Olympic champion and multiple World and Olympic medallist for China, one of the most prominent Asian athletes of the past decade.
For cadets and juniors, the opportunity to train in the same environment as Olympic and World champions added significant value to the experience.
From the Summer Camp to the Extra Camp in Belgrade
The international profile of the camp was also reflected in the participation of major national structures. Teams and representatives from China, Croatia and Bulgaria were among the delegations using Serbia as an important preparation base, together with clubs and national programmes from Europe, Asia and the Americas.
For many of these teams, the Galeb Summer Camp formed part of their broader international preparation calendar. The opportunity to train against athletes from different schools and competitive systems remains one of the main advantages of the camp.
Instead of repeatedly facing the same sparring partners within their own national programmes, athletes were able to test themselves against opponents with different rhythms, distances and tactical styles.
The work did not end in Vrnjačka Banja.
After the first stage, the programme continued with an Extra Camp / High Performance Camp in Belgrade, held from 7 to 12 August at the Comtrade complex.
This second phase had an even stronger focus on elite competition.
The High Performance Camp brought together approximately 195 participants from 24 countries, including around 170 high-level competitors and approximately 25 coaches.
A total of 36 clubs and national structures were represented, including teams and athletes connected with China, Bulgaria, Ontario, Galeb and Hankuk, among other international programmes.
During this stage, the volume of sparring and high-intensity combat preparation increased significantly.
Two Stages, One High-Performance Concept
The combination of the traditional Summer Camp in Vrnjačka Banja and the subsequent High Performance Camp in Belgrade created a two-level preparation model.
The first stage offered a broad environment where cadets, juniors and seniors could train and share experiences.
The second stage moved the work towards a more demanding competitive setting, with national-team athletes and international-level competitors increasing the intensity of sparring and match simulation.
For younger athletes, it was an opportunity to observe first-hand how elite competitors train.
For senior athletes, it provided valuable preparation against opponents they would not normally face on a daily basis in their own countries.
A Tradition That Continues to Grow
After 31 years, the Galeb Summer Camp remains much more than a training camp.
It has become a meeting point for different generations, coaching philosophies and Taekwondo cultures.
Serbia has built a strong inter
national tradition in the sport, and much of that development has been connected to structures such as Galeb and the long-term work led by Dragan Jović.
The 2026 edition once again brought together cadets beginning their international journey, juniors preparing for the transition to senior competition and established senior athletes competing for medals at the highest level.
Around them were international coaches, national teams, Olympic champions, World champions and major medallists, creating an environment that is difficult to reproduce in a conventional training camp.
From 31 July to 12 August, between Vrnjačka Banja and Belgrade, Serbia once again became one of the key international centres for high-level Taekwondo preparation
Thirty-one editions later, the Galeb Summer Camp continues to fulfil the same mission: bringing together experience, talent and new generations on the same mat.
Dr. Seyed Nemat Khalifeh – Iran
Dr. Reza Imanzadeh – coach China, Uroš Todorović – Serbia
Stevan Rašić – Serbia, Nebojša Šakić – Serbia
INTERNATIONAL COACHES AND COLLABORATORS
Jesús Ramal – Spain, Suvi Mikkonen – Finland -Hungary
DISCOVERY CAMP COACHING TEAM
Uroš Todorović – Serbia
Stevan Rašić – Serbia
Zvezdana Bogdanović – Serbia
Nikola Cvetanović – Serbia
Lazar Cvetanović – Serbia
Sara Jovic – Serbia
Teodora Jović – Serbia
