At the end of May, great news arrived from France that Ismail Barlov became the first athlete from BiH to meet the A-norm for the Paralympic Games in Paris. From that moment, instead of focusing on preparations, Ismail and his coaches do not know if they will have the money to go to the biggest sports event.
“This is the realization of my current boyhood dream. My next dream is to win a medal,” 12-year-old Ismail tells. Instead of a feeling of pride and joy, after a great result, he and his coaches faced BiH reality. Due to the lack of money, this boy’s dream of competing in the Paralympics was put into question.
“We can say that the departure is uncertain precisely for financial reasons. In more serious countries, when you achieve a norm or something similar, that’s where the problems end – that’s where the system takes over. With us, it’s the opposite – now we need to think about how to find funds”, says Amel Kapo, coach of Swimming Club SPID.
That he is an incredible talent is best shown by the results that he achieved two A-norms for the World Championship and one A-norm for the Paralympics at the World Series competition in France.
And whether the BiH flag will fly at the Paralympic Games in Paris depends on the support of the state. Ismail really deserved it with the results. This brave boy dreams of a medal from the world’s biggest competition. His daily struggle – both in life and in sports – can serve as a life lesson for everyone.
