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# Serbian World Cup Champions Donate Gold Medal to Montreal Church
- URL: https://uoj.news/news/serbian-world-cup-champions-donate-gold-medal-to-montreal-church/
- Published: 2026-07-13T17:45:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-25T16:09:05.000Z
- Description: Serbia's world champion paddlers celebrated their victory by offering one of their gold medals to God and the Church.
- Author: Tobias Straney
- Tags: #Category: News, Serbian Orthodox Church, Orthodoxy in Canada, Sports

**MONTREAL —** Members of Serbia's national canoe sprint team visited Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church in Montreal on July 12, [offering thanks to God](https://www.istocnik.ca/en/serbias-golden-national-team-members-visited-the-holy-trinity-church-in-montreal) after winning two gold medals at the Canoe Sprint World Cup held in the Canadian city.

The delegation included athletes Marko Dragosavljević, Žarko Jakovljević, Branko Lagundžić, and Veljko Vještica, along with national team coach Sima Boltić. According to the parish, the athletes chose to visit the church immediately after the conclusion of the competition as an expression of gratitude for their success.

[![](https://uoj.news/content/images/2026/05/serbian-world-cup-champions-donate-gold-medal-to-montreal-church-image-2b400558b600.jpg)On this topicEx-World Cup Footballer Joins Orthodox Faith](https://uoj.news/news/87159-ex-world-cup-footballer-joins-orthodox-faith/)

During the visit, the team presented one of its World Cup gold medals to Holy Trinity Church as a thanksgiving offering. The athletes also gifted Fr. Vladimir Vranić an official Serbian national team jersey. The parish described the donation as a lasting reminder of the team's visit and as a symbol of the spiritual bond uniting Serbs in their homeland and throughout the diaspora.

Fr. Vladimir thanked the athletes for their generosity and wished them continued health, peace, and success in their athletic careers. The parish said the visit demonstrated that faith, humility, and gratitude to God remain enduring foundations of genuine achievement, adding that the team's gesture reflected the close relationship between the Church and Serbia's sporting community.

Previously, the [UOJ reported](https://uoj.news/news/86832-serbian-soccer-team-penalized-for-stadium-display-of-orthodox-icon/) that the Serbian soccer team was penalized for a stadium display of an Orthodox icon.