Between 2019 and 2022, approximately 22.2 billion dinars (about 189 million euros) were allocated from Serbia’s budget through the Ministry of Sports to various sports associations, including those in basketball, water polo and other disciplines. This funding, which included both regular programs and allocations through a special COVID relief program, raises questions about how the funds were spent, particularly considering that major sports events were canceled during the pandemic.
According to the Council for the Fight Against Corruption, the funds were transferred during a period of limited sports activities, with no major competitions or gatherings due to the pandemic. This has led to doubts about how the funds were used, as no clear explanation has been provided regarding their allocation during a time when sports events were largely on hold. While financial reports were submitted to the Ministry of Sports, the Council argues that these reports are not adequately reviewed, noting that the Ministry lacks the capacity to properly monitor them and that the budget inspection seems to be ineffective.
The lack of transparency is further emphasized by the absence of any detected misuse of funds, despite the substantial amounts allocated to sports activities and infrastructure projects. In the four-year period, nearly 200 million euros were spent, yet the Ministry has not submitted a single report analyzing the effectiveness of these expenditures. The Council questions whether these funds have contributed to improved sports results, athlete conditions, or the development of infrastructure for disabled athletes and youth sports. Instead, they suspect that the funds may have been used to meet the internal needs of sports associations and other institutions, rather than for their intended purposes.
The Ministry of Sports allocated a total of 6.03 billion dinars for cash prizes, national sports awards, and scholarships to top athletes over this period. Of this, 1.3 billion dinars went to sports scholarships, 1.03 billion dinars for awards, and 3.6 billion dinars for national recognitions. Additionally, annual allocations for regular programs, international competitions and sports camps increased over the four years, from 2.8 billion dinars in 2019 to 3.6 billion dinars in 2022.
Despite these significant investments, there are concerns about the lack of proper oversight regarding the construction of sports infrastructure. A considerable portion of the funds, approximately 1.7 billion dinars, was spent on the National Training Center in Košutnjak, a multi-sport facility. Smaller amounts were allocated to the development of local sports infrastructure in less developed areas.
The Ministry of Sports has responded to the Anti-Corruption Council’s concerns, asserting that all projects were conducted through open procedures. However, the Council has criticized the way some major infrastructure projects, such as the National Stadium and city stadiums in Leskovac, Loznica and Zaječar, were transferred to other ministries without any legal foundation, raising additional concerns about the transparency and management of these projects.
