The 31st edition has begun successfully in Vrnjačka Banja under the direction of Dragan Jović, featuring eight daily training sessions, specialised physical conditioning, individual training and an international Test Match scheduled for 5 August.

VRNJAČKA BANJA, Serbia.– The Galeb Summer Training Camp – High Performance 2026 has begun successfully in the Serbian resort town of Vrnjačka Banja, which has once again become one of the world’s leading meeting points for international taekwondo.

More than 400 cadet, junior and senior athletes from three continents are participating in the 31st edition of a camp that, over more than three decades, has built a strong reputation for high-performance training, international exchange and the development of elite competitors.

The main programme is taking place from 30 July to 6 August 2026 at the Hotel Zepter in Vrnjačka Banja, the traditional venue for this training camp. The Galeb Summer Camps concept was created and continues to be developed by renowned Serbian coach Dragan Jović, whose methodology provides the technical foundation of the entire project.

Dragan Jović Leads a World-Class Training Camp

Technical leadership is in the hands of Dragan Jović, one of the most highly regarded coaches in Olympic and world taekwondo, supported by the experienced coaching team of Taekwondo Club Galeb.

The staff includes Stevan Rašić and Uroš Todorović, coaches closely involved in the club’s sporting development, as well as physical conditioning specialist Nebojša Šakić.

Iranian coaches Seyed Nemat Khalifeh and Reza Imanzadeh have also returned to participate. Both have maintained a long-standing professional relationship with Galeb and have worked for many years in the development of international competitors.

The coaching team is completed by recognised international coaches and collaborators, including Jesús Ramal of Spain and Olympian and coach Suvi Mikkonen, who is currently involved in Hungarian taekwondo.

The combined presence of Serbian, Iranian and European coaches provides different perspectives on technical, tactical and physical preparation, enriching a programme designed for athletes of different ages, weight categories and levels of experience.

More Than 400 Athletes and an Exceptional Competitive Standard

For Dragan Jović, the 2026 edition has a particularly special significance.

This is not only because it has attracted more than 400 participants and delegations from three continents, but also because of the exceptional standard of the competitors who have arrived in Vrnjačka Banja to prepare for their upcoming international commitments.

Among the most prominent athletes are Hungarian sisters Viviana Márton and Luana Márton, representatives of one of the most important generations in European taekwondo.

They are joined by a large delegation from China, whose presence significantly raises the standard of the training sessions and introduces one of Asia’s strongest competitive schools to the camp.

The camp also features world champions developed within the Serbian system, including Vanja Stanković, the 2017 world champion, and Nadica Božanić, who became world champion in Guadalajara in 2022.

Their experience gives younger athletes the opportunity to share the mat with competitors who have already succeeded on World Taekwondo’s greatest stages.

The interaction between champions, national-team athletes and emerging talents represents one of the greatest strengths of the Galeb Summer Camp.

Cadet and junior athletes do not merely watch the established stars. They train alongside them, study their movements and face competitors with a wide range of styles and tactical approaches.

Eight Training Sessions Every Day

The scale of the camp requires an extensive and carefully organised training structure.

Four simultaneous classes are held during both the morning and afternoon sessions, with athletes divided according to age category, competitive standard and technical objectives.

This represents a total of eight training sessions every day, with differentiated groups ensuring that each athlete can work under appropriate conditions.

The programme includes technical and tactical exercises, movement drills, specific combat situations, work with electronic body protectors, distance analysis, reaction-speed training and numerous rounds of sparring.

The official High Performance programme divides the athletes into three or four separate groups according to their competitive level.

This structure allows the coaches to supervise each athlete’s development more closely and gives participants the opportunity to train with partners who have similar physical and competitive characteristics.

The high training volume is not simply a response to the number of participants.

It forms part of a methodology designed to reproduce the intensity, pressure and unpredictability that athletes will subsequently encounter at European, Asian and world championships, as well as Olympic qualification events.

Physical Conditioning, Assessments and Individual Sessions

The work conducted on the mat will be complemented by specialised outdoor physical conditioning sessions, making use of the natural surroundings of Vrnjačka Banja.

These sessions will focus on developing endurance, power, speed, coordination and injury prevention.

The coaching staff has also planned specific assessments to evaluate the condition of the participants and manage their individual training loads more effectively.

In addition to the group sessions, selected athletes will be able to undertake individual training, receive personalised technical corrections and complete exercises adapted to their specific competitive requirements.

This combination of technical training, physical conditioning and assessment makes the camp much more than a succession of sparring sessions.

The objective is to evaluate athletes comprehensively, identify areas requiring improvement and provide them with tools that can be incorporated into their regular training programmes.

The Test Match Will Provide the Major Competitive Examination

One of the most eagerly anticipated moments will be the Test Match on 5 August, a competitive session during which participants will be able to apply the knowledge and skills developed throughout the camp.

The contests will allow athletes to face different international styles, assess their strategies and measure their reactions under conditions similar to those of an international tournament.

The Test Match has become an important part of the Galeb experience.

Beyond the result itself, coaches use it as an assessment tool to examine tactical management, adaptation to opponents, physical performance and decision-making.

The organisation of these competitive test matches has become part of the camp’s recent tradition.

For cadet and junior athletes, it will also be a valuable opportunity to gain experience against unfamiliar opponents.

For senior athletes and national-team members, it will represent an important test within their respective international preparation programmes.

Galeb: A Genuine Factory of Champions

The strength of the camp is directly connected to the history of Taekwondo Club Galeb, which is regarded as one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs and one of the most internationally recognised sporting projects in taekwondo.

Founded and technically directed by Dragan Jović, Galeb has developed athletes capable of winning Olympic, world and European medals.

The club itself highlights four Olympic medals achieved by its leading competitors: the two Olympic gold medals won by Milica Mandić, along with the silver and bronze medals earned by Tijana Bogdanović.

That record is complemented by world titles, continental medals, Olympic qualifications and numerous achievements at Grand Prix tournaments and international Opens.

Galeb is not simply a club that brings champions together.

It is an organisation that has consistently transformed talent into performance through a continuous methodology, technical supervision and a competitive culture developed over several decades.

Athletes from numerous countries have trained within its system, and many of them return every summer to prepare alongside the Serbian team.

Previous editions of the camp have attracted more than 600 participants from 29 countries and five continents, demonstrating the international scale achieved by the project.

A New Stage Alongside Daedo

Taekwondo Club Galeb currently maintains a sponsorship and collaboration agreement with Daedo International, one of the world’s leading companies in taekwondo technology, equipment and electronic scoring systems.

The partnership has included the participation of Daedo representatives in activities organised by the club, as well as the use of the company’s equipment during high-performance training sessions.

This collaboration is intended to support the athletes’ preparation and bring their training conditions closer to the technological standards used at major international competitions.

Daedo’s support strengthens a project that combines sporting tradition, technological innovation and an international vision for the development of taekwondo.

Training, Friendship and Celebration

Although sporting performance remains at the centre of the programme, the organisation also seeks to preserve the welcoming and family-oriented character that has defined the camp throughout its 31 editions.

The Organising Committee has announced that a small social celebration will take place, allowing athletes, coaches and delegations to spend time together away from the training environment.

The gathering will help strengthen relationships between participants from different cultures, celebrate the effort made throughout the week and reinforce the camp’s role as a place of friendship and exchange within the global taekwondo community.

Many different languages are spoken in Vrnjačka Banja, numerous national flags are represented and a wide range of combat styles come together.

Nevertheless, all participants share the same objective: to learn, improve and return to their countries with a more advanced sporting experience.

Vrnjačka Banja Once Again Becomes the World Capital of Taekwondo Training

The 31st edition confirms the Galeb Summer Camp’s position as one of the most important high-performance training gatherings on the international calendar.

Over seven days, more than 400 athletes will train under the direction of a world-class coaching team, share sessions with world and Olympic champions, and test their abilities in an environment specifically created for competitive development.

For Dragan Jović and his staff, the challenge will be to maintain the camp’s technical and organisational quality while managing an increasingly large and diverse group of participants.

For the athletes, every session will provide an opportunity to face new styles, correct mistakes and broaden their understanding of combat.

For international taekwondo, Vrnjačka Banja has once again become a meeting point connecting Europe, Asia and other regions of the world.

The Galeb Summer Camp 2026 is now under way.

Eight daily training sessions, physical conditioning, assessments, individual preparation, world-class champions on the mat and an international Test Match promise a week of maximum intensity in Serbia.

More than a training camp, Galeb once again presents a development model that, across 31 editions, has trained athletes, connected nations and helped to build champions.

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