Football: Pupils rewarded for Serbia chant

Brothers Carson (left) and Tai Brand with Serbian under-20 players (from left) Vukasin Jovanovic,...
Brothers Carson (left) and Tai Brand with Serbian under-20 players (from left) Vukasin Jovanovic, Marko Grujic and Radovan Pankov at Halfway Bush School yesterday. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
Making up a chant to cheer on Serbia at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup more than paid off for children at Halfway Bush School yesterday.

The school beat other Dunedin schools to win a radio competition, which required choosing a team and making up a chant, to win tickets to both games at Otago Stadium on Sunday and the right to lead the walking bus to the stadium from the Octagon before the first match.

It also resulted in Serbian coach Veljko Paunovic and players and officials visiting the school yesterday morning.

They were greeted by a classroom full of enthusiastic children, some with their faces painted, holding Serbian flags they had made in the morning.

After showing off the chant that won them the radio competition, the children were encouraged to ask the players questions, an opportunity at which many jumped.

Paunovic presented the school with a football signed by the players who visited the school, while the children handed over a handful of gifts, including chocolate and kiwifruit.

The Serbian coach of three years, who enjoyed the children's chant so much he asked for them to sing it again, said the visit was an important part of the team's time in Dunedin.

''For us, we really want to connect with the community,'' he said.

''This is a great event and we're really trying to be a part of the city. We find it very important for our team, for our style of play, to have the support of the fans and the people.''

''This is our first time here. For our guys preparing for even bigger achievements later when they become professionals and senior players, they will find that this is a great opportunity and great experience.''

Paunovic earned 87 caps for Spanish giant Atletico Madrid as a player, before also playing for Hannover in the German Bundesliga and Philadelphia Union in the MLS.

He is now leading Serbia in its first Under-20 World Cup, a challenge which starts against Uruguay on Sunday.

Serbia arrived in Dunedin on Wednesday afternoon, but spent the previous week preparing for the opener in Auckland.

The team also trained at Logan Park yesterday, and will put the finishing touches on its preparation today and tomorrow.

Following yesterday's training, members of Serbia's management team played a game of touch against Otago Rugby's coaching and management team.

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