SDP presented Draft Law for the Rescue and Development of Sports Clubs

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At today's press conference, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of BiH presented the Draft Law on Sports Clubs of FBiH, and the goal of this law is the rescue of sports clubs and an opportunity for the development of sports clubs in FBiH.

This law is an 11-year-old obligation of FBiH, stipulated by the Law on Sports of BiH.

"It is important to emphasize that this is not a Law on Sports, but a law on sports clubs, which is only one segment of care for sports. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a law at the state level, but due to the complicated constitutional structure and competencies for sports, it is necessary for entities and other levels of government to adopt their own regulations," stated the SDP.

They add that this law is precisely one of the obligations that must finally be fulfilled in order to help sports clubs.

"In the coming period, we will propose other laws related to the financing of elite sports, distinguished athletes, and tax reliefs for businessmen who invest in sports," the statement reads.

"This law defines that sports clubs can be associations and joint-stock companies, the procedure by which clubs-associations can become clubs-joint-stock companies. Also, this law clearly defines that all levels of government can finance sports clubs regardless of the organizational form of the sports club," said Irfan Čengić, a representative in the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament.

This law aims to help struggling sports giants like KK Bosna, as well as clubs that function well and want to raise their work to an even higher professional level, like clubs in the region and Europe.

"This is the beginning of a series of legal solutions and activities through which we want to help sports in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I will demand from the KS assembly to consider the state of elite sports and how we can help clubs like Bosna. We must look to the countries in the region when it comes to allocating funds for sports," emphasizes Igor Stojanović.

The press conference was also attended by the celebrated BiH handball player Enid Tahirović, who pointed out that this law should be the salvation of club sports in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and an opportunity for clubs for sports development, because if the current practice of sports clubs continues, we will languish at the bottom of club sports in all sports for a long time.

It was emphasized that in the coming days, SDP representatives will hold consultations with sports federations and sports clubs, and that they do not want to turn this into a political issue, but rather for all parties that support sports to unite around this law.

When asked by journalists whether he expects support from other parties, Čengić stated that he expects support from those parties whose leaders like to be photographed in VIP boxes at sports venues in BiH.