At the Olympic Museum Sarajevo yesterday, as part of the Sarajevo Olympic Week 2025 festival, an inspiring talk, “Olympic Stories with…”, was held, featuring distinguished Bosnian and Herzegovinian (BiH) Paralympic swimmer and young sports community leader Ismail Barlov and his coach and promoter of inclusion in sports, Amel Kapo. Through a unique dialogue with attending high school students, the guests shared their experiences, values, and motivational stories, with the aim of celebrating the spirit of Olympism and promoting inclusion in sports.
At the very beginning of the talk, reflecting on the fact that he had received the April 6th Award of the City of Sarajevo three days earlier, Ismail Barlov expressed his pride, emphasizing the special significance of being nominated for the award by Edin Dzeko. “This is the highest award a Sarajevo citizen can receive. It means a lot to me that someone like Edin Dzeko, both as a person and an athlete, recognized me and nominated me for this award. I will certainly carry this title with pride,” said Barlov.
Barlov named his best friend Ismail Zulfic as his role model and shared an anecdote about how he contributed to winning an Olympic medal. “Winning an Olympic medal is a special feeling, but nothing would have been possible without my coach and all the people who supported me. When I traveled to the Olympics without my friend Ismail Zulfic, it was difficult for me, but when he surprised me and showed up on the day of the race, it became much easier,” said Barlov. He added that he is happy his teachers are understanding of his commitments and that, with good organization, he manages to keep up with all his school obligations. “All my friends at school really support me, and that means a lot to me. Success doesn’t come overnight,” said Barlov.
In the end, Barlov gave advice to young athletes, emphasizing the importance of self-belief and consistent work. “To children who start doing sports: believe in yourself, work honestly and fairly, and never give up.”
Describing the preparation period for the Paris Olympics, Amel Kapo pointed out that Ismail swam 107 kilometers during training. “To put it into perspective, that’s like swimming from Sarajevo to Zepce. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice – Ismail is an athlete like any other, and his medal is just as valuable as any medal won by athletes without disabilities,” said Kapo, adding that what makes Ismail’s medal even more significant is that BiH athletes do not have the same conditions as those in more developed countries, both in terms of funding and infrastructure.
“For all of us at the SPID Swimming Club, this has already become a way of life, and we are truly dedicated 24/7 to helping our children. Likewise, the children help us and the community. That’s why our club’s anthem says: ‘I work on myself so I can help you,'” said Kapo, who concluded by calling on government representatives to pass a Sports Law that would greatly facilitate the work of sports clubs.
