Duško Vujošević unable to lead the national team in upcoming matches due to health reasons

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina basketball national team, Duško Vujošević, has sent a letter to the officials of the Basketball Federation of BiH informing them that due to health reasons he will not be able to lead our national team in the upcoming matches. 

- I inform the public that yesterday I received information that the process of transplanting a kidney into my body will begin at a specialist facility in Istanbul on July 30 this year.  To be precise, on July 30, examinations begin, the results of which will determine whether the transplant will take place.

I have been waiting for this procedure for a long time, and being aware of the complexity of the whole matter, I want it to be known that this operation is urgent, but also that the fact that it coincides in time with the final phase of the World Cup qualifiers does not make me calm.

Therefore, I want the leadership of the Basketball Federation of BiH to take over the management of the national team during my hospital absence and rehabilitation period. I expect the national team players to be substantially, not declaratively, mobilised for the matches ahead. The first step for that mobilisation is responding to the call to play for the national team.

I expect them to show loyalty to basketball through their actions, and to give patriotic statements only after they have responded to the call and arrived at the preparations.

Since I am fully aware of the uncertainty of the outcome of the examinations and the surgical procedure, as well as the length of the post-operative course, I give a proposal to the people leading the Basketball Federation of BiH to make decisions on further strategy and, in accordance with it, personnel solutions in the interest of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team at this moment, according to their convictions and responsibility - Vujošević said. 

Our national team will play against Finland away on September 13, and then at home on September 16 against the Czech Republic as part of the qualifiers for the World Championship in China next year.