Mathews Journal of Sports Medicine

Nikola Utvic

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education
University of Priština – Kosovska Mitrovica Leposavic
Serbia

Nikola Utvic is began academic journey in the 2010/2011 academic year at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, University of Priština (temporary headquarters in Leposavić), where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 2015 with a cumulative average grade of 8.33. In the same year, he enrolled in the Master of Sports Science program, which he completed in 2016 with distinction, achieving an outstanding average grade of 9.63. He successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in 2023 at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, University of Niš. Between 2002 and 2013, he actively competed as a player for Mokra Gora Football Club in Zubin Potok. In 2014, he transitioned into a professional coaching career, serving as a strength and conditioning coach for the football, handball, and volleyball sections of the same club. His evidence-based training methodologies contributed significantly to the competitive performance and development of these teams. He currently serves as President of the Association for Sports for Persons with Disabilities, United in Diversity, and as Director of the Global Camp in Zubin Potok—an inclusive initiative dedicated to promoting organized physical activity and sport among individuals who are blind or visually impaired. He is a certified adaptive swimming coach and holds an official license for coaching physical activity in athletes with visual impairments. As the founder, owner, manager, and lead instructor of the Giga Sports Academy in Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica, he oversees the development and implementation of corrective, rehabilitative, and high-performance training programs for individuals with diverse abilities and needs. An internationally recognized specialist in adaptive sports science, he has actively participated in and contributed to numerous scientific and professional conferences across Europe and Asia, including events held in Niš, Kopaonik, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Spain, Russia, Turkey, Romania, China, and North Macedonia. He was selected to attend the Summer School of Science in Brno, organized by the Faculty of Sports Studies at Masaryk University, and completed a semester-long research internship at the Lithuanian Sports University (Lietuvos sporto universitetas) during his doctoral studies. Since 2020, he has been employed at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, University of Priština. As of 2026, he holds the academic rank of Assistant Professor (Docent) at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, where he is actively engaged in teaching, research, and academic mentorship. He has authored and co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers published in national and international journals and conference proceedings, contributing original research and systematic analyses in the fields of adaptive sport, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and inclusive training methodologies. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Sports Engineering and Biomechanics (IJSEB).