Top BiH athletes at 'Rajlovac' barracks: Fostering sports spirit in BiH Armed Forces

(Patria) - Organized by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of BiH, a group of top BiH athletes continued their visits to BiH Armed Forces (AF) brigades today at the 'Rajlovac' barracks near Sarajevo.

The top athletes represented at Rajlovac included cyclist Lejla Njemčević, athlete Amel Tuka, skier Elvedina Muzaferija, and shot putter Mesud Pezer, who this time visited the Tactical Support Brigade of the BiH AF.



Their hosts were the Commander of the BiH AF Tactical Support Brigade Elvir Faljić, Head of the Physical Fitness and Sports Department of the BiH AF Joint Staff, Brigadier Kemal Suljević, and Stefan Čeranić and Ana Bajlo from the MoD BiH Policies and Plans Sector, within which possibilities for forming a sports unit of the BiH AF are actively being considered.

- We athletes find motivation for training and victories, just like you soldiers, in patriotism. Thank you for your service in the army, because you make our homeland secure - said Lejla Njemčević in her address to the assembled soldiers.



"It's a great thing if you can actively engage in sports alongside a regular job. I know people who have dedicated 20 years to sports, but because they didn't achieve results, their livelihood became questionable. Our potential engagement in the BiH AF would give us security, so we wouldn't fear for our existence."

In their interaction with the members of this brigade, the athletes spoke about their careers and exchanged experiences with the soldiers regarding athletic activities and maintaining physical fitness.



In the discussions, it was particularly interesting to compare sports principles and habits with the competitive spirit that is being fostered in every good military unit.

The participants of this activity emphasized that the goal is to highlight the importance of engaging in sports and to popularize sports activities within the BiH AF.



Vedad Karić and Tea Papić, themselves members of the BiH AF Tactical Support Brigade, were particularly highlighted as top athletes within the BiH AF.

Through the conversations between the athletes and the members of this brigade, topics such as discipline and dedication, mental toughness, teamwork, goal setting, and learning from failure, which are equally important in sports and in the armed forces, were particularly emphasized.



Following the visit to the 5th Infantry Brigade in Tuzla and the Tactical Support Brigade in Rajlovac, the activity led by the MoD and BiH AF will continue on December 4th in Čapljina, where a group of top BiH athletes will visit the 4th Infantry Brigade of the BiH AF, and on December 11th, the 6th Infantry Brigade in Banja Luka.