Budva, September 18, 2025 – As a token of gratitude for all she has accomplished as an athlete, a leader, and a role model for new generations, the Budva Sports & Arts Film Festival (BSAFF) presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to the trophy-winning volleyball player, long-time captain of the Croatian national team, and Olympian, Maja Poljak.
The award citation describes her as “a legendary middle blocker, multiple European champion, recognized as the best in the world in her position, and today a successful sports leader and a distinguished figure in sports management.” The tributes go further, portraying Maja Poljak as “one of the brightest stars of European and world volleyball, a woman whose name symbolizes strength, dedication, and supreme sporting dignity.”
The text highlights her impressive sporting career, starting with her remarkable results in the Croatian national team jersey. At just 16, she won a silver medal at the 1999 European Championship in Italy, as part of the generation that wrote history for Croatian women’s volleyball. She also won medals at the Mediterranean Games and was one of the key players of the Croatian national team.
Her club career spanned more than two decades at the highest level — from HAOK Mladost, through Italy’s Bergamo, Turkey’s Vakifbank and Eczacıbaşı, and Dinamo Moscow, to standing on the top podium at the Champions League and Club World Championship. After ending her playing career, Maja became a high-ranking official of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), where she managed the organization of major continental competitions.
“Today, she shares her expertise as an employee of the Croatian Olympic Committee, where she works in international cooperation and EU projects – still with the same passion, vision, and dedication,” the BSAFF citation concludes.
From all this, it is clear why Maja Poljak so deservedly received this recognition, which primarily honors her outstanding achievements in her sporting career. (bsaff/hoo/vk)
The Croatian Olympic Committee congratulates its colleague Maja Poljak on this valuable recognition from Montenegro’s Budva Sports & Arts Film Festival!
