President Milanović Extends Support to Croatian National Wheelchair Basketball Team at Training Session
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović visited today members of the Croatian National Wheelchair Basketball Team attending a training session at the Aton Sports and Gymnastics Centre in Nedelišće in preparation for the European Wheelchair Basketball Championship Division B & C.
The European Wheelchair Basketball Championship Division B & C will take place on 12-22 June in Sarajevo. After the training session, President Milanović wished the Croatian team great success in the competition, saying that they are in such good shape that not even professional basketball players would be able to score against them.
“Impressive! If people without disabilities were to play against them now they wouldn’t score, not even professional basketball players. This is physically very demanding and in this sport one can also see how far a society has come in caring for and supporting people with disabilities and special needs of this kind. In a sport like this, those who have been investing for a long time are the best, not those who are otherwise the best in basketball. Croatia is moving forward here, we’re not bad,” said President Milanović.
Croatian wheelchair basketball has been around since the 1970s, but interest in this very attractive sport for people with disabilities increased sharply after the Homeland War, when many young Croatian war veterans joined the sport. Wheelchair basketball thus evolved from just one group in Zagreb into a structured organization that is today composed of a First and Second League and boasts a men’s national team hoping to qualify for Division A in Sarajevo, which would earn it a place in the top group of European national teams. The establishment of a women’s national team is underway, as well.
The best wheelchair basketball in Croatia is currently played in Split, Zagreb and Zadar. One of the leading Croatian wheelchair basketball players is Dino Sinovčić from Split, who is also one of the world’s greatest Paralympic swimmers and who will arrive at the European Championship straight from the World Swimming Championships. In addition to Dino Sinovčić, the best Croatian wheelchair basketball players are Admir Demirović and Ante Štimac. The coach of the national team is Siniša Kuharić from Rijeka, who this year received the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Annual Award for his dedicated volunteer work with disabled people.
Apart from President Milanović, also attending the training session of the Croatian National Wheelchair Basketball Team were Međimurje County Prefect Matija Posavec, President of the Croatian Paralympic Committee Ratko Kovačić, Head of the Municipality of Nedelišće Nikola Novak, Secretary of the Wheelchair Basketball Federation Damijan Lisska, national team assistant coach Igor Ograjšek, national team spokesman Kristijan Sirotich and Commissioner of the President of the Republic for Sports Željko Jovanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas