Bosnia and Herzegovina Sitting Volleyball Team Fully Prepared for European Championship in Hungary

(Patria) - The Bosnia and Herzegovina sitting volleyball team held a press conference ahead of their departure for the European Championship in Hungary, which takes place from July 27 to August 2.

The attending media were addressed by national team selector Ifet Mahmutović, who emphasized that the Golden Nations League, where our team won the Gold Medal, served as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming European Championship.

“At the Golden Nations League, we had the opportunity to see some young players, primarily Armin Šehić, who was named the best player, thereby securing a spot in the starting lineup,” said selector Mahmutović, adding that he is particularly pleased with the return of two long-time national team members, Safet Alibašić and Adnan Manko.

"I am very satisfied with the return of Safet Alibašić and Adnan Manko, with whom we will be much stronger. Safet Alibašić is a player who was named the most valuable player at the last European Championship. On the other hand, Adnan Manko reads the game phenomenally, and at times I would prefer him beside me on the bench, but he is even more important on the team. Most importantly, we have achieved all the preparation program we set out. The team's readiness for this European Championship is at the highest level,” added selector Mahmutović.

The team that caused our side considerable difficulties at the Golden Nations League is the German selection, which has been investing in this sport for years and working to improve its team.

“We are in a group with Germany, and I have always been cautious when it comes to them because you never know with them. They can play phenomenally, but they can also lose to the weakest team. Against us, they always play excellently, and I must admit they gave us a hard time. They have a good coaching staff, they work hard, and they have good support. But generally, every team has the greatest desire when playing against us, probably due to the fact that we have 11 Gold Medals,” concluded selector Ifet Mahmutović.

One of the best sitting volleyball players in the world, Safet Alibašić, is once again part of the national team.

“Thank you to the selector for the invitation and the trust shown to once again be part of the most trophy-laden national team. Honestly, after Paris, I was thinking about retiring from the national team, and I had been announcing that for several years. The credit for me being back in the national team goes to selector Mahmutović, who contacted me right after the Golden Nations League, even though I was on vacation and did not plan to go to the competition. The selector insisted that I must continue to be part of the team, and I eventually accepted,” said Alibašić, adding that the team has already completed several phases of preparation.

“We have completed four phases of preparation, we travel to the championship on Friday, and I believe we will have time to rest and prepare for the performance. I think the schedule works in our favor because the opponents at the beginning are slightly easier. I can say that the team is ready, and I think anything less than the twelfth gold would be a failure for our national team,” Safet Alibašić stated at the end.

The president of the Sitting Volleyball Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hajrudin Zekić, pointed out that the national team had to be prepared for two strong competitions in a short period, which was a great challenge for the association's work.

“We had several preparation cycles for both the Golden Nations League and the European Championship, which required certain financial resources, but the association's office, with the help of certain friends and sponsors, managed to close that financial structure. We tried to save in every area, because next year we have the World Championship in China, which will be a special challenge for our finances, as it involves a very large amount of money for us,” emphasized President Zekić.

Our national team is in Group B, together with the selections of Germany, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Serbia. The first matches are scheduled for July 28, and our team will play against Italy. The matches can be followed via live stream on the official YouTube channel of Paravolley Europe.