Bosnia and Herzegovina's smallest Olympic team ever: The state does not invest enough in sports, and this success belongs to individuals

(Patria) - The Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina yesterday presented the smallest team of athletes ever to compete in the Olympics. When all is said and done, there are more coaches than athletes.

Although it was expected that eight athletes would represent Bosnia and Herzegovina, athlete Amel Tuka and taekwondo representative Nedžad Husić did not meet the norm, so five competitors from three sports will travel to Paris. Lana Pudar and Jovan Lekić (swimming), Larisa Cerić and Aleksandra Samardžić (judo), and Mesud Pezer (athletics - shot put).

Regarding the Summer Olympic Games, in 2008 in Beijing, we also had five athletes but in four sports. As reported by Sportsport.ba, the colors of Bosnia and Herzegovina were then represented by: Lucija Kimani, Hamza Alić (athletics), Amel Mekić (judo), Nedim Nišić (swimming), Nedžad Fazlija (shooting).

One of the largest delegations at the Olympic Games was in 1992 in Barcelona, just four months after our country gained independence and international recognition.

In Barcelona in 1992, the colors of our country were represented by: Zlatan Saračević, Dragan Mustapić, Mirsada Burić, Kada Delić (athletics), Aleksandar Đurić (canoeing), Vlado Paradžik (judo), Mirjana Horvat (shooting), Janko Gojković, Anja Margetić (swimming), Mehmed Skender (weightlifting).

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, we had nine athletes in seven sports. Under the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina competed: Islam Đugum, Kada Delić (athletics), Samir Karabašić (canoeing), Davor Vlaškovac (judo), Nedžad Fazlija (shooting), Janko Gojković, Dijana Kvesić (swimming), Tarik Hodžić (table tennis), Fahrudin Hodžić (wrestling).

The year 2000 brought the Olympic Games in Sydney, and Bosnia and Herzegovina came to Australia with nine athletes in four sports, including: Đuro Kođo, Željko Petrović, Elvir Krehmić, Dijana Kojić (athletics), Arijana Jaha (judo), Nedžad Fazlija, Zoran Novaković (shooting), Janko Gojković, Željko Panić (swimming).

The 2004 Olympic Games returned home to Athens, and Bosnia and Herzegovina had nine athletes in as many as eight different sports in the Greek capital. In Athens, we watched: Jasmin Salihović, Jasmina Guber (athletics), Emir Šarganović (canoeing), Amel Mekić (judo), Nedžad Fazlija (shooting), Željko Panić (swimming), Srđan Miličević (table tennis), Zoran Prerad (taekwondo), Mervana Jugić-Salkić (tennis).

The 2012 Olympic Games were held in London, and the BiH Olympic team went with six athletes in four sports: Kemal Mešić, Lucija Kimani (athletics), Amel Mekić (judo), Nedžad Fazlija (shooting), Ensar Hajder, Ivana Ninković (swimming).

Brazil and Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympic Games, where 11 athletes from five sports represented Bosnia and Herzegovina, making it our largest Olympic delegation since the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Rio, the competitors were: Amel Tuka, Hamza Alić, Kemal Mešić, Mesud Pezer, Lucija Kimani (athletics), Laris Cerić (judo), Tatjana Đekanović (shooting), Mihajlo Čeprkalo, Amina Kajtaz (swimming), Mirza Bašić, Damir Džumhur (tennis).

The last Olympic Games were postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the coronavirus, and the host was the Japanese capital, Tokyo. We came to Japan with seven athletes in five sports: Amel Tuka, Mesud Pezer (athletics), Larisa Cerić (judo), Tatjana Đekanović (shooting), Emir Muratović, Lana Pudar (swimming), Nedžad Husić (taekwondo).

Although we have numerous talents and successful athletes, especially in individual sports, these athletes mostly manage on their own because the state has never resolved the issue of financing and investing in sports talents. The Ministry of Civil Affairs also covers sports within its scope, but this is not a solution that could give a boost to BiH sports.

If we look at Lana Pudar's success, it is solely hers. The state or its levels of government only started helping Pudar after she achieved great results. A similar example is with BiH skier Elvedina Muzaferija. Although we have one of the best cyclists, Lejla Njemčević, it is difficult for her to go to the Olympics without a collective norm. And how many other female cyclists from BiH have we heard of?!

We can list the reasons why we don't have a larger Olympic delegation, but we choose to thank these athletes who will carry the flag of BiH and surely give their best to represent the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the best possible way.

sportsport.ba/Amra Vrabac