Croatian Olympic Committee announces Dražen Petrović Award winners

The Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO) has announced the winners of the 20th Dražen Petrović Award, which recognizes outstanding young athletes under the age of 20.

In the individual categories, track and field athlete Vita Barbić and taekwondo practitioner Oscar Kovačić were named the most successful young athletes. Barbić received recognition following her silver medal at the U20 World Championships in the United States, while Kovačić was honored after winning the European title in the under-80 kg junior senior category.

The Croatian U18 water polo national team won the award for the best young team, marking the second consecutive year the honor has gone to a water polo squad. The team's recognition follows a highly successful period for Croatian water polo, which included world championship titles for the U16 team and European championship success for the U20 team.

Additionally, Senka Martinović and Toma Tadić were named the most successful sports pair in shooting, following their silver medal at the U21 European Championships in Bulgaria. The ceremony also noted that no winner was selected for the most successful female youth team due to a lack of valid candidates, prompting the committee to review its award regulations.