 Đokić ends career with a trophy in hand
Obviosly it was destiny and the best posible end. Montenegrian Ana Đokić finished her national team career in Serbia with a gold medal at the EHF EURO 2012 and won the Russian cup trophy with Rostov-Don, by beating Zvezda Zvenigorod 34:27 in the final.
After that game, in which she scored three goals, the 34-year-old line player confirmed it was the last game in her career.
“I want to focus on other things in my life. Sooner or later my career had to come to the end and winning the Russian cup was the best way to do it.”
“The end of the game was a very difficult moment, I was both happy and sad. It was very emotional, I cried, as did my teammates when they hugged me.
“I'm grateful that my last game was the final and that I ended my career with a medal around my neck,” Đokić told eurohandball.com.
Đokić spent her last season in Russia and also had a chance to win a championship title. However, Rostov-Don lost the final against Dinamo Volgograd, having been defeated in the third and decisive game, and after finishing top of the table during the regular part of the season.
“I'm happy with the season, but I am sorry that we have not won the championship.
“Little things decided the game. I just didn’t understand why the second and third games of the play-off final were played one day after another.
“The first one we played very well, and leveled the score at 1:1. The next day it was hard, it was enough that the two players were tired and it was all over.
“However, there are no reason to be sad, because we finished ahead of great teams like Lada and Zvezda Zvenigorod, who played in the Champions League this season,” Đokić added.
Serbian born player Ana Đokić began her career in native town Aranđelovac, in club Knjaz Miloš.
She also played for Serbian teams Medicinar and Napredak, and with Napredak she won a Yugoslavian Cup in 1999 as well as the EHF City Cup in the same year.
In 2002 she decided to move to Hungary and joined Győri ETO KC, where she played until 2008.
With Győri ETO KC she won three Hungarian championship titles and four national cups, as well as reaching the final in two EHF Cups and one Cup Winners’ Cup.
Đokić transfered to Podravka in 2009 and in one season won the league and cup double in Croatia as well as the Regional League, before she moved to Budućnost in 2010, which would turn out to be the highlight of her career.
Alongside winning three Montenegrin doubles and Regional Leagues, Đokić won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2010 and the Women’s EHF Champions League in 2012.
She made the decision to represent Montenegro in 2010 and won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in London and gold at the 2012 EHF EURO in Serbia.
"When I consider how successful I have been over my last year, with all the trophies, I have plenty to be proud of,” concluded Đokić.
TEXT: Saša Jončić / cor
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