Nikola Mijatov, PhD
Institute for Contemporary History
Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
Vol. XXXVIII, 2/2020, pp. 219–230
https://doi.org/10.29362/ist20veka.2020.2.mij.219-230
ABSTRACT/RESUME:
“Judo clan” is the term often affiliated with prominent members of the police forces during the regime of Slobodan Milošević. Radovan Stojičić Badža, Senta Milenković, and Goran Radosavljević Guri rose to prominence and achieved high positions in the Serbian Police thanks to judo. Stojičić was the deputy minister of internal affairs, Milenković was President Milošević’s first bodyguard, and Radosavljević was a distingusihed police officer and later first commander of the Gendarmery. They all had a judo background and were members and officials of the “Milicionar” judo club. In Vojvodina, Marinko Kresoje stood out as the assistant chief of the department of public security. Furthermore, there were also many prominent judokas that had trained and competed together in socialist Yugoslavia but were on opposite sides in the war. In Republika Srpska there was Momčilo Mandić, Mićo Stanišić, and Rajko Kušić. In Croatia there was Mladen Markač and Josip Lucić. Hajlurah Trnava was a prominent judoka in the area of Kosovo. Given the fact that they were all distinguished masters and champions of judo and tatami buddies up until the war, the term “Judo clan” is not quite accurate. While it can denote only “Yugoslav” or “Serbian” judokas who were close associates of Slobodan Milošević, there is no reason to exclude their judo colleagues from the Republika Srpska, Croatia, and from the area of Kosovo. Still, the subsequent careers of all of these judokas show the close connection that this sport had with both the police and the military in Yugoslavia and in the states that emerged from its breakup.
KEYWORDS: Judo, Judo Clan, Radovan Stojičić Badža, Senta Milenković, Goran Radosavljević Guri
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