Matej Belistojanovski named Skopje's top athlete at '13 November' awards
At the 57th ceremony at Jane Sandanski Sports Complex, nine awards were presented by the Sports Union of the City of Skopje.
On 12 November 2026 the Sports Union of the City of Skopje held the 57th annual "13 November" awards ceremony and presented nine recognitions to athletes, coaches, referees, clubs and sports journalists from the capital.
The ceremony took place at the Jane Sandanski Sports Complex. The winners were selected on the recommendation of the Commission for Awards and Recognitions and confirmed by the Executive Board of the Sports Union.
Matej Belistojanovski was named the city's best athlete after a standout season: he took first place at the Serie A event in Tbilisi, won the gold medal at the European U21 Karate Championship in Limassol and captured gold at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto.
Honours for long service, refereeing and exploration
Journalist Sasho Kuzmanovski received an award for long-standing work in sport and more than two decades of engagement across several media outlets. Irena Mitrovska, president of the Weightlifting Federation and secretary of the Kickboxing Federation, was recognized for her contribution to sport organisation and development.
Speleodiving Club "Vrelo" was honoured for its role in the "Vrelo 2026" expedition, held from 11 to 17 October. The expedition, carried out by a team of 15 members from North Macedonia, Poland and Italy, set several new world records during the exploration of what was described as the deepest cave ever entered by humans, including the deepest cave dive and the deepest open-water dive achieved by the team.
Legendary coach Marin Dokuzovski received the lifetime achievement award. The international handball refereeing pair Silvana Karbeska and Marija Ilieva were also recognised for their work on beach handball and indoor handball at world and European championships and top EHF competitions since 2009. Aleksandar Kuzmanovski, coach at Karate Club "Olympic Skopje" and selector of the national A kumite team, was likewise awarded.
The "13 November" awards have been presented since 1970 in honour of the liberation of Skopje and recognise exceptional contributions to the development and promotion of sport, top sporting achievements and lifetime service across athletes, coaches, sports professors, journalists and other sports workers.
Photo: press material from the event
