He started practicing karate in 1991 at the Karate club Famos Hrasnica. The war interrupted his sports career, but in 1996 he returned to training and continued his career under the mentorship of coach Ramiz Potur.
Through the clubs “Shotokan”, “Ilidža”, and later engagements in Mostar, Tuzla and Croatia, he built a path filled with numerous national, European and world awards, including the title of world champion U-21.
He built his career without scholarships and systemic financial support, relying almost exclusively on his family, which is why his achieved results have additional value. He competed professionally until 2011, after which he devoted himself to education and coaching.
– My competitive career lasted from 1997 to 2011, with occasional breaks due to injuries. I think that I am one of the competitors who changed the most clubs in BiH, but also one of the few who were professionals in karate, a sport that is generally amateur. I am also among the few who had the opportunity to work abroad. During my career, I worked with top karate coaches and selectors such as Ramiz Potur, Miroslav and Zdenko Klepić, Elvir Ferizović, Faik Muhić, Suad Ćupina, Fikret Selman and Mišo Berak, which greatly helped me in the development of my coaching career – said Đekić.
He points out that every moment when he won the fight was his favorite, and the medals are just a consequence of that.
– Honestly, today I don’t even know where all my medals are. Medals are pieces of metal, and the wins, experience and emotions that come with them are what I competed for. I celebrated the 20th anniversary of winning the world gold on November 13. The most difficult moment in my career was my first serious injury in 2007, when I had to take a break from training for about eight months – says Đokić, adding that apart from the physical, it was also a big psychological struggle.
His karate club “Olimp” operates today through the concept of complete child development. Children first learn the basic elements of karate, while fighting is introduced only after two years of training.
– Such an approach allows our members to become complete karate fighters. I am especially proud of the fact that despite the large number of competitors, we had no serious injuries, which I consider a confirmation of quality work. Today, the club has around 120 members and is active in three locations in Sarajevo – he stated.
Former BiH the member of the national team notes that the organization of the fourth “Olympus karate/parakarate summit”, which will be held from December 8 to 14, is in its final phase, and that this year’s manifestation bears the epithet of cultural and sports for the first time.
– Friends from SARTR recognized our idea of promoting inclusion, so two plays with an inclusive theme, “Up and Down” and “Puls” will be performed as part of the program – said Đekić.
As the selector of the BiH women’s karate team, together with Emina Sipović, he traveled to the World Championship in Cairo today.
– This is the first World Championship in a new format, and the qualifications are conducted through a ranking list or a qualification tournament. Emina Sipović is the only one of our contestants who made it through the qualifications in Paris. She is our best female fighter, she is young, she just entered the senior competition, and she is already among the 32 best in the world. The pressure is great, but I believe that he will successfully carry it out and shine at the WC – said Đekić.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
