"These Championships are very important for us to show what we are capable of," Mali said.

"Our strategy is to promote Serbia as a country of sportsmen and women, and we will be a candidate for the World Indoors in 2020."

The 14th European Athletics Indoor Championships have been well organised, largely well attended and atmospheric. 

The venue has witnessed some outstanding performances, the highlight of which for the host nation came yesterday as home long jumper Ivana Spanovic lived up to her promise of defending her title, doing so with a best effort of 7.24 metres. 

This was the best effort produced indoors since 1989.

The only blot on the Belgrade landscape has been the intermittent problems with the starts for the sprint events - believed to have been caused by vibrations within the specially laid, and raised, new track. 

Mali added that there had also been discussions between the city and the Government over hosting a future outdoor European Athletics Championship.

"We do plan this but it is still at an initial stage," he said.

"We are working very closely with the Government and looking at building a huge national stadium in Belgrade which could hold such an event, not just for athletics but other sports as well.

"But if we do this the proper way for the Indoor Championships, why not for outdoors too provided we have the facility for it?"

European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen endorsed Mali's statement, adding: "We are very happy Belgrade is doing this because we need people with this imagination."

Hansen described the Kombank Arena as the best indoor facility he has ever seen.

"I have been to every European and World Indoor Championships since early in the 1980s, the only one I missed was the World Indoors in Maebashi in 1999, and this is the best, the most fantastic facility I have ever seen," he said.

"You can be proud in Belgrade of the things you have achieved here."

The Kombank facility, built as a basketball arena with a capacity of 20,000, had a swimming pool installed to host the European Water Polo Championships in January 2016 and was swiftly reconfigured within the past six weeks to accommodate a new track and a capacity of 8,000.

Christian Milz, chief executive of European Athletics, added: "If anybody has the smallest doubt about the level of readiness of the LOC (Local Organising Committee) I would like them to pay a visit to the Kombank Arena.

"There is no scepticism now. 

"It is the most impressive, the best ever arena ever for fans and athletes.

"Have a look at how the arena looked six weeks ago and now. 

"The LOC President Slobodan Brankovic and his team have done a fantastic job."