Professor Marko Aleksandrović: The work of PK Spid and coach Amel Kapo are textbook examples

The story of the boy Ismail Zulfić, who mastered swimming techniques and styles without arms and even won a gold medal, has gone around the world. Ismail is a member of the Swimming Club Spid, founded in February 2016 by Master of Sports and Physical Education Amel Kapo. Today, PK Spid has 73 children and people with disabilities and 54 typical members. It seems that this success and the effort invested by Kapo with other coaches are more recognized in other countries than in Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes the Patria agency.   

Professor Marko Aleksandrović from the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education in Niš visited Sarajevo at the invitation of FASTO Sarajevo to participate in a scientific conference on new technologies in sports. On the sidelines of the conference, new study programs at FASTO concerning people with disabilities will also be discussed.

Professor Aleksandrović began his university career as an assistant trainee at the Faculty of Physical Culture in Niš (1999) in the subject of Swimming. He was elected to the position of assistant professor in 2007, and to the position of associate professor, in the subjects of Swimming and Water Polo at the Faculty of Sports and Physical Education in Niš, in 2012. His scientific and professional research areas include selection in swimming sports, and in recent years he has been particularly involved in research on adaptive swimming. In cooperation with some local self-government units in Niš, he is the head of several project activities for teaching swimming to children with disabilities.

Professor Aleksandrović is precisely one of those who supported Kapo from the very beginning in the idea of founding a swimming club for people with disabilities. Namely, in 2015, the professor invited Kapo as the only representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina to a Swimming Camp in Istanbul. In an interview with the Patria agency, he reveals how it all began.

- He was the right choice. Sports for people with disabilities are not unknown to him. He is already a man with an impressive CV in sitting volleyball, he knows disability, that psychology, those specifics. There he could learn from the best experts from all over Europe in the field of Paralympic swimming. He didn't just sit idly by, and most importantly, when he came here, he didn't just implement what he saw there, but adapted everything to the mentality and environment. He is the best reference from that Camp, and his deeds speak for themselves – says Aleksandrović.

Speaking about the importance of including people with disabilities in everyday life, the professor emphasizes that it must be without any difference.

- From our profession, we can help and contribute by learning how to work with every person with a disability and how to get the most out of them physically – said Aleksandrović, who, together with colleagues and associations, founded a swimming club in Niš in 2009 that is still functioning today.

The Faculty in Niš formed the Serbian Adaptive Swimming Association, which includes all people involved in adaptive swimming. These are primarily professors of sports and physical education, but also coaches, physiotherapists, pedagogues, special educators, psychologists, and medical professionals. They organize seminars every year because continuous education is essential for progress, emphasizes Professor Aleksandrović.

Comparing the situation in Niš and PK Spid, the professor points out that the club should have free use of the pool, given its work, as is the case in Niš.  

- If this burden were lifted, I claim that the financial situation, which is one of the main prerequisites for development, would improve.

An additional problem is that there is only PK Spid in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so Kapo has to compare himself with other countries. Logically, any competition motivates you to be better.

- I hope that will change soon and that clubs for swimming for people with disabilities will be formed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kapo and his example will be included in our next textbook. The whole world knows about the swimmer Ismail Zulfić. Furthermore, success in competitive swimming has been achieved in a short time. Three swimmers have achieved international classification, including a woman. This is even more significant because it is difficult to get a woman with a disability to engage in sports – said Alekandrović.  

He said that this should be enough motivation for those in decision-making positions to help this club.

- Why should professors of sports and physical education who work with people with disabilities be volunteers and not paid? Every person has a limited level of positive energy and motivation. Sooner or later, this city and this profession will lose Amel Kapo. If not this country. We have such an example in Serbia as well. We must fight for our staff, because if we fight, we are fighting for the betterment of our society – concludes Professor Aleksandrović.

The swimming club Spid was founded in February 2016 and has since grown into a respectable club whose members have already won numerous medals. Swimming lessons for children and people with disabilities are free, but the use of the Olympic pool in Otoka is not. Coach Kapo is reluctant to talk about the problems he faces, but he has received numerous rejections so far. He has continuous support from the pharmaceutical company Bosnalijek, but not from those whose primary concern should be the youngest. It is important to emphasize that the coaches of PK Spid work not only with children with disabilities but also with their parents, who undergo certain training.

A large number of PK Spid members come from the Centar municipality, and Kapo's requests for support have been rejected several times.

Given the coaches' workload with the number of members, there is an idea for fourth and fifth-year FASTO students to do their practical training in cooperation with PK Spid.