The rumble of fantastic fireworks accompanied by thunderous applause and exclamations of joy at the end of the tenth anniversary HMB World Championship Battle of the Nations cut the night sky of the Serbian city of Smederevo and marked the official ending of the medieval sports festival. Everyone who took part in this celebration understood that this year is really special in the history of Battle of the Nations. In 2019, 40 teams took part in the tournament, which means that more than 900 fighters entered the lists of the 15th century fortress in Smederevo. It was a record in the entire history of the tournament.

We can also recall these unbelievable fights in traditional tournament categories and new ones – this year, for the first time, the fights included 12 vs 12 and 30 vs 30, WMFC Profights, which  became official categories of the Championship. There was also the first ever female All vs All. These tough fights did not leave anyone indifferent! And of course 150 vs150 – it was a real medieval war. It was something that one can never forget. 

The organizers did a great job that no one can forget. Remembering everything that happened in the fortress, it is impossible even to imagine how much love, talent, care and work was invested in making it all happen.

Even today, a year and a half after the end of the Championship, Eugeny Galushin, the main organizer of Battle of the Nations – 2019 recalls the event with trepidation and pride:

“The championship turned out to be really unique. There was a lot of work to be done before BotN, during it and after the tournament. There were many hours of planning, organization of technical and logistic aspects, many negotiations with representatives of the host side. The Serbian government provided all kinds of support. The city authorities of Smederevo and local HMB organizations also helped a lot. I am infinitely grateful to them.

In addition, a professional team of talented and highly qualified specialists worked on the organization of the Championship. Every aspect of the Championship was closely monitored. Any emerging issues in the course of Battle of the Nations were resolved efficiently and fast, thus making it easy and pleasant to work with such people.

And, of course, the most important thing, which is that everyone rallied and worked hard – it  was for our athletes and audience who came to support them. We thought over every detail for the convenience and comfort of participants and spectators. These people inspired all of us and we worked for them”, said Evgeny Galushin.

Of course, the contribution of the host country to the organization of the Championship cannot be underestimated, as well as the hospitality of locals. Such support and  passionate desire to become a part of the history of the HMB World Championship Battle of the Nations have not been met for a long time.

The White Eagles, the Serbian Association, headed by well-known representatives of the HMB community Boyan Tasic, Milica Kovacevic, the head of the National HMB Federation of Serbia and the captain of the 2019 HMB Serbia team, Aleksandar Uroshevich, provided significant assistance in organizing the Championship. According to Aleksandar, he and all his colleagues understood what this Championship meant for the country, the city and for them personally:

“We understood that the world’s best HMB athletes will gather in Smederevo to represent the honor of their countries and our duty, as hospitable hosts, to do everything possible to make our guests comfortable. We knew that the walls of the Smederevo Fortress were the ideal place to host the World Championship in the Historical Medieval Battle.

In addition, we reminded the whole world about Smederevo, the medieval capital of Serbia. During the Battle of the Nations, thousands of tourists came here, which had the best impact on the city’s economy. I will not keep a secret by telling you that the Government authorities of Serbia, city authorities, local organizations and the entire HMB community of the country were interested in the successful holding of the HMB World Championship Battle of the Nations. 

For many years, I have dreamed of the Championship being held in Serbia. You can even say that it was not just a dream, but a goal in life. And the dream came true! Getting the right to host the tenth anniversary HMB World Championship Battle of the Nations is just amazing! ”

There were simply no people in Smederevo who were indifferent to Battle of the Nations! Literally everyone joined in – the owners of local hotels, cafes and restaurants created special offers for the participants of the Championship called “Knight Friendly”. In honor of the tournament, concerts and theatrical events were also held here, also citizens helped as volunteers. Everyone rallied around the Battle of the Nations once again confirming that this is not just a sporting event, but a unique cultural phenomenon!

Battle of the Nations 2019 brought the quality of HMB events to a new level and now we are looking forward to July 2021, when the Championship flag will rise to the sky of Romania and we will finally be able to watch the battles of the best again!

HMBIA News