Basketball club Bosna will still play in the ABA League next season, and BH Telecom supported the club with 1,350,000 BAM.
The Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Nikšić, said that the problem of the hall where Students will play regional competition matches has been resolved. At the press conference today, an agreement was also signed between KK Bosna and the Government of the Sarajevo Canton worth 1,200,000 BAM.
The Prime Minister emphasized that they do not want to stand aside when it comes to important things such as the KK Bosna brand and the success they achieved last season. He recalled that they held a meeting in the Government last week where they resolved certain problems.
The biggest problem of KK Bosna, in addition to the budget and the playing staff, is the location where the matches will be played in the ABA League.
“Entry into the ABA League could not be planned, so JP Skenderija has already booked the dates when the matches were supposed to be played. We have solved that problem and by signing the contract we have also solved other problems regarding participation in the ABA League,” he said.
He emphasizes that KK Bosna is one of three teams from BiH that were European champions and that such a brand deserves attention and support.
“KK Bosna will compete in the ABA League, we will do everything to be a respectable competitor and that the result is at a high level. We have agreed that it will be the Zetra hall. The Government of the Canton of Sarajevo has approved certain funds for the reconstruction of that hall and from that aspect there will be no problems,” said Nikšić.
He also emphasized that the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will also help with other technical works, but it cannot force only one club.
“Fortunately, public companies can support the club, so BH Telecom will be the general sponsor of KK Bosna and we will ask some other public companies to support them. I thank all the people who started this project, this synergy with the help of local communities will result in citizens being able to go to real basketball shows,” concluded Nikšić.
Prime Minister of Canton Nihad Uk said that they promised to return Bosnia to where it belongs and that after two years they are on the way to doing so.
“I am glad that we have gained another partner in our mission, which is the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and BH Telecom. These three partners will carry out the entire work. KK Bosna is not a brand of Sarajevo, but of BiH,” emphasized Uk and invited other local communities and private entities to join.
Minister of Culture and Sports of Canton Sarajevo Kenan Magoda said that Nikšić has shown true leadership that is needed in every segment of life.
“This is not a coincidence, it is a project that is entering the third phase of the project. The largest contract so far was 350,000 BAM, and now we have reached millions. This requires courage and perseverance and this is a historic contract for the Government of Canton Sarajevo,” emphasized Magoda.
He emphasized that this is the result of public-private partnership and teamwork.
He said that KK Bosna now has a serious budget thanks to the FBiH Government, BH Telecom, and partners, and he praised the leadership of Dubravko Barbarić.
The President of the Basketball Club Bosna Dubravko Barbarić said that their goal from the beginning was to win the title.
“When I came to the club, I said that KK Bosna is not a club that does not go for titles and the highest placements. This season we played three finals, and we won one trophy,” he said.
He expressed his satisfaction that in a few days he will also play in the junior final of Bosnia and Herzegovina. league, which, as he says, was a huge step forward.
“Our boy is going to a prestigious NCAA university, and one played in the Euroleague for Dubai, which is our partner club. A lot of things were done in silence and that’s why the result was made,” he emphasized.
He claims that he noticed the return of “Bosnian” euphoria and the return of the audience, but also the belief that KK Bosna can win.
“The first problem was related to the hall, the sports infrastructure is poor, and the second is the budget, because we are entering a serious competition, which is a private league like most European leagues. We must be aware that there will be three Euroleague teams, three Eurocup teams and three teams in FIBA competitions,” he said.
He also stated that the budget collected so far for the next season is around three million BAM.
“That is a good start, and I think that some more companies could participate. The response from private companies is almost non-existent. We sent offers to 130 addresses, but there is no interest,” concluded Barbarić.
Director of the ZOI’84 Admir Bukva said that he is emotionally attached to Bosnia.
“We have two halls that could meet European standards, but they are in very poor condition, which we have been warning about for a long time, but Skenderija and Zetra have no sources of income other than organizing concerts and other events,” he emphasized and said that Zetra is being made available to KK Bosna.
He explained that Zetra has problems with locker rooms that do not meet ABA League standards, but that they have initiated activities to resolve the problem, Fena news agency writes.
