Monument to legendary boxer Mate Parlov unveiled

Hundreds of citizens from Fažana, Pula and the entire region as well as numerous athletes, gathered in Fažana today for the unveiling of a monument to legendary boxer, Mate Parlov, the greatest Croatian athlete of the 20th century.

Fažana municipal leader Ratomir Korać emphasized the importance of remembering prominent people and athletes and noted that the monument to the legendary boxer the will bring a great promotion to Fažana. He said that he is especially proud that in Fažana they lived with a man that enriched Pula, Istria and Croatian sport.

The unveiling of the monument took place on the 40th anniversary of Mate Parlov winning one of his biggest boxing titles, the WBC world title in Milan, defeating Miguel Ángel Cuello and becoming the professional world champion in the light-heavyweight category.

The impressive bronze life-size statue measures 240cm in height with pedestal included, the statue itself is 190cm tall. The monument is the work of academic sculptor Ante Jurkić. Following the unveiling of the monument, a projection of the great boxer’s matches was shown at the Fažana Multimedia Centre along with an exhibit of his trophies and photographs.

Mate Parlov passed away on July 28th, 2008 and is the only Croatian boxer to have won all possible titles, European and World amateur champion, Olympic champion and European and World professional champion.

Source: HRT