Aleksandar Sapic

Education

He graduated from the Megatrend University Faculty for Management in 2003, received his master degree in 2009 and defended his PhD dissertation in 2012, in the field if industrial management.

Political career

He was assistant of the Mayor from 2009 to 2012. He was elected the president of New Belgrade municipality in 2012 and he was reelected in 2016. He is still the president of the biggest municipality in Belgrade.

Water polo career

He started playing water polo in 1984, in WC Crvena Zvezda where he played for all young categories teams. He transferred to WC Partizan in 1991, not yet fourteen he made his senior debut in 1992. He returned to WC Crvena Zvezda in 1993 and he continued his career in WC Bečej starting 1994]]. In 2001 he left to Italy, WC Camogli, where he spent three seasons and after that he transferred to WC Rari Nantes Savona. He left Italy in 2006 when he went to Russian waterpolo club Shturm 2002 where he signed contract that made him the best paid player in water polo history.

During his brilliant club career he won 21 trophies of which 9 National Championship (6 he won in SRY, 2 in Russia and 1 in Italy). He also won National Cups 9 times (7 National Cups of SRY and 2 National Cups of Russia). He once won LEN Euroleague and twice LEN CUP.

In the period 1996–2009 he was the leagues's top scorer fourteen times in a row, 6 times in SRY, 5 times in Italy and 3 times in Russia. During his club career he scored 1.694 goals, most of the number 924 he scored for clubs in SRY, in italian league he scored 494 times and in Russia 276 times.

He finished his professional water polo career in 2009.

Club titles (21)

14 consecutive top-scorer titles 1996–2009

Number of scored goals

National team career

For the national team of Yugoslavia he made his debut in December 1995 when he was only seventeen. He played for the national team until 2008. At the very beginning of his national team career with team of Yugoslavia he won two European Championships, 1995 in Eslingen and 1996 in Istanbul. He was the best player and top-scorer at both Championships.

First big competition he took part in, when he was 18 years old, were Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996. He is one of few sportsmen playing team sport who took part in Olympic Games, winning one silver and two bronze medals.

With national team of Yugoslavia, later Serbia and Montenegro and finally Serbia he played in 22 sports tournaments, won 20 medals, of which 5 are from European Championships, 4 from World Championships and 3 from Olympic Games. The mos shining medals from the World Cup he won two times, from World League tournaments he has 5 medals and he won gold medal in the Mediterranean Games in Bari in 1997.

For the national team he scored 981 goals, he scored 981 goals for thenational team in 385 games he played, 2 times he was top-scorer of the Olympic Games, 4 times he was top-scorer of the World Championship and he was 4 times top-scorer of the European Championship. He was 4 times top-scorer of the World League tournaments and he won this title 2 times in the World Cup tournaments.

During his career in national team he was chosen in ideal team of the tournaments he played 8 times, 3 times he was part of the national team of European and World Championships and 2 times he was part of the Olympic Games team.

World Championship

European Championship

Olympic Games

World League

World Cup

Mediterranean Games

Number of scored goals

Top scorer

Ideal team

Sports organizations

Besides his full of trophies water polo career, he gave his contribution to Serbian sport through engagement in sports organizations. He was the president of waterpolo club Crvena zvezda from 2003 to 2004.

After finishing his career as player in Italian club Rari Nantes Savona for the club he continued working as sports manager for European competitions in the period 2006–2014.

Honours and awards

Thanks to his brilliant sports career he is bearer of great number of sports and community honours, among others, in 2000 he was named the best sportsman of AP Vojvodina. He was decorated twice, first in 2001 and then in 2004, with Nemanja decoration of the first degree on the basis of representing our country and its citizens.

In 2004 he was awarded the best sportsman in Serbia in the choice of the Olympic Committee of Serbia and Montenegro, only one year later, 2005 he was declared laureate of October award of City of Belgrade. More than a decade he was considered to be one of the best water polo players in the world, and in 2005 he officially was declared the best water polo player in the world.

The most important sports and community honour given traditionally every year by Serbian sports federation to sportsman, sports federations and experts who left mark in the history of Serbian sports with their results and affirm our country around the world, May award, was given to him in 2008.

In 2010 he was named third best sportsman in 21st century by FINA.

In October 2016 Charter was delivered to him for contribution to development and work of Sports Academy as an award for the best student of this institution since its establishment.

World federation of sport and culture based in Mineapolis(Minnesota) in July 2017 declared him the best water polo player "attacker" in the history. In this contest he won 4.045 votes which is one more confirmation of his successful scorer carrier.

Personal life

He is married, father of two sons. He lives and works in Belgrade. He speaks Russian, Italian and English.

Charity work

He is founder of a humanitarian foundation –Be Humane that is founded on 9 April 2014. Be Humane raises funds in order to help children, adults, institutions and organizations from Serbia. Be Humane in a very short time became one of the most relevant and most trusted humanitarian foundations in the region and its aim is to help curing and ensuring needed therapy for children at first place.

Since it was founded until today, with help of Be Humane more than 1 million of euros was raised. Thanks to that great number of users help was supplied with therapy and send to proper medical treatment. In February 2016 Aleksandar Šapić donated all the medals he won in his water polo career and they are being sold in auction, money raised in this humane action will be donated for curing and therapies of Be Humane users.

He received numerous awards for community service and humanitarian work. With those awards many institutions in Serbia showed respect and gratitude to him for everything he did in the field of humanitarian work as active sportsman and he continued doing, even in more intense and responsible way, after he is retired from water polo.

Interesting facts

In movie Kad porastem biću kengur he had role of Gangula, he is remembered for even today. He was lucky to have role in the movie that marked Serbian kinematography and eventhough it was filmed in 2004 it is still very popular.

He took part in humanitarian tv programme Dance with stars.