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A vibrant celebration of women and unified basketball The Unified European Women’s Basketball Championship was held at the Kristalna Dvorana Sports Centre in Zrenjanin, Serbia, from June 5 to 9. The event saw eight unified teams, consisting of young female athletes, both with and without intellectual disabilities, compete passionately on the courts.
The tournament was organized by Special Olympics Serbia, with the support of the Municipality of Zrenjanin, the Serbian Ministry of Sports and Toyota Motors Europe, and involved teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Lithuania, the black Mountain, Portugal, Romania And Serbia.
This event was a testament to the collective efforts to enhance quality in women’s sport in Europe, and highlighted Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Vice President for Sports, Miroslav Krugulic.
“Over the past two years, we have leveraged European Basketball Week to create more opportunities for women’s sport in our region, and this women’s basketball tournament is a legacy of our joint efforts with FIBA Europe and the national federations,” said Krugulic.
“Everyone involved in this work, from the national programmes training their teams to the organisers and local partners, has contributed their best skills, and we are very proud of the results.”
Photo by NemanjaO STUDIO4X4
European Basketball Weekan annual initiative of the Special Olympics Games in Europe and Eurasia held in late November, involving approximately 25,000 athletes and Unified Partners Across more than 35 countries. Last year focused on unity and women’s rights. Basketball This is a perfect example of this tournament, showing the lasting impact of this initiative.
Before the pandemic, female basketball players made up 33% of players at Special Olympics Europe and Eurasia; last year, that figure rose to 35%. While these numbers are encouraging, they point to room for growth, with events like the Zrenjanin tournament playing a crucial role in raising awareness and interest in women’s sport.
Photo by NemanjaO STUDIO4X4
“We have long focused on developing women’s sports,” commented Aleksandar Stanojevic, National Director of Special Olympics Serbia.
“Mathematics is part of our programme, and they benefit greatly from the sporting and non-sporting activities we offer.
“We hope all the participants go home happy to have been part of this important event for the development of women’s team sports. Our players should be very proud of themselves.”
National director Stanojevic also stressed that the presence of influential women in sports in Zrenjanin helped put the tournament in the spotlight.
Marina Maljkovic, the coach of the women’s national basketball team, was particularly present at the opening ceremony, where she expressed her admiration for the athletes. “It was great to see the parade of athletes and meet them and their coaches,” Maljkovic said.
“Our national team started here in 2019, in the same gym where they play now; from there we went to Belgrade to win the bronze medal and continued to win gold medals. I just want them to feel the same good feeling and enjoy our sport. Everyone who started playing the sport has already become a champion and that is definitely the greatest joy.”
