Vanja Udovičić

Who is Vanja Udovičić?

Vanja Udovičić is a retired Serbian water polo player, currently performing the role of cabinet minister in the Serbian government under prime minister Aleksandar Vučić and deputy prime minister Ivica Dačić.

During an illustrious professional water polo career that spanned 15 seasons, Udovičić played for Partizan Belgrade, Jadran Herceg Novi, Posillipo Naples, Pro Recco, Mladost Zagreb and Radnički Kragujevac. His most notable achievements on the club level are winning the LEN Euroleague twice with Pro Recco. The first one in 2008 followed by another one in 2010, the final in which he scored 4 goals for his team bringing the title back to Pro Recco with his felow countryman Filip Filipović contributing 2 goals.

With the Serbian national team, his most notable achievements are European gold for juniors in 2000, the gold medals from the World Championship in 2005 and 2009, European gold in 2003, 2006, and 2012, and Olympic silver in 2004 and bronze in 2008 and 2012.

On 2 September 2013, Udovičić accepted the offer of becoming the Minister of Youth and Sports in the Government of Serbia.