Ada Avdagić, a 9th grade student at the “Fatima Gunić” Elementary School in Sarajevo and a scholarship holder of the Hastor Foundation, is an athlete at the very top of the world when it comes to taekwondo – she is first on the world WTE list of juniors up to 42 kg. After only one year of training, she began to participate in various competitions and made enviable successes in the world of sports.

 I was carried away by the adrenaline of the tournament, the fights and the feeling when they say my name on the podium and award me a medal, says Ada, who was declared national champion five times in a row in the period from 2016 to 2020.

As time passed by, Ada received an invitation for the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and so the first great successes at the European Championships and G-Class tournaments, which are among the most elite taekwondo tournaments, began to follow. She won a total of 18 medals at G1 tournaments, of which 11 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze.

In 2018, she became the European cadet club champion and won a bronze medal at the European Cadet Championship. Ada continued to be the European junior club champion in 2020, and then she was declared the most promising athlete in the Sarajevo Canton. In addition to these titles, 2020 brought her the title of the best junior of Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2020.

Sport has a significant educational role in the lives of children and young people, as it contributes to the development of their physical, intellectual and moral characteristics. Playing sports provides significant opportunities for socialization and coping in society, and it can have positive effects in preventing and reducing socially unacceptable and harmful habits and behaviors in young people.

In addition to her parents who give her endless support, she is also greatly supported by coach Ibrahim Kolja, who she says has greatly contributed to her success. The Hastor Foundation also has an indispensable place in her life.

 The Hastor Foundation and the scholarship I receive have a special place in my life, because I feel like a part of a big and successful family, and at the same time it is my first scholarship after which things in sports life and affirmation somehow went uphill. I like to volunteer with my group, hang out and share different experiences. As much as possible, I try not to miss our joint online meetings unless I have some competition or additional training. I try to be an active member of the Hastor family, because I feel that it is my contribution and thanks to the Foundation for the trust shown.

What our athlete strives for and what is the dream of every one of them is to gain the right to Olympic qualifications in the next few years and to perform at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris thanks to them. Ada is on a great path, because it was declared by the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the Olympic hope of our country for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.

My message to scholarship holders would be that they need to believe in their dreams, to constantly work on themselves and to be aware that every work and sacrifice brings results and success from time to time.

You can read more about Ada, her successes and plans for the future in the May issue of our Newsletter.

Prepared by: Aleksandra Đukić

Translated by: Semra Islamović