A vibrant celebration of women’s and Unified basketball took place as the European Unified Women’s Basketball Tournament unfolded at the Kristalna Dvorana sports centre in Zrenjanin, Serbia, between 5 – 9 June. This event saw eight Unified teams, comprised of young female athletes, with and without intellectual disabilities, competing passionately on the courts.
Organized by Special Olympics Serbia, and supported by the Municipality of Zrenjanin, the Serbian Ministry of Sports and Toyota Motors Europe the tournament featured teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania and Serbia.
This event was a testament to the collective efforts to promote quality in women’s sports in Europe, as highlighted by Special Olympics Europe Eurasia Vice President for Sports, Miroslaw Krogulec.
“For the past two years, we have capitalized on European Basketball Week to create more opportunities for women’s sports within our region, and this women’s basketball tournament is the legacy of our shared efforts with FIBA Europe and national federations” Krogulec said.
“Everyone involved, from national programs training their teams to local organizers and partners, contributed their best skills, and we are immensely proud of the results.”
European Basketball Week, a Special Olympics Europe Eurasia annual initiative held in late November, involves around 25,000 athletes and Unified Partners across over 35 countries. Last year's focus on Unified and women’s basketball is the perfect example of this tournament, showcasing the enduring impact of this initiative.
Before the pandemic, female basketball athletes constituted 33 percent of players in Special Olympics Europe Eurasia; last year, this rose to 35 percent. While encouraging, these numbers indicate room for growth, with events like the Zrenjanin tournament crucial in raising awareness and interest in women’s sports.
“At Special Olympics Serbia, for a long time now we have put emphasis on developing female sports,” commented Special Olympics Serbia National Director, Aleksandar Stanojevic.
“Female athletes are part of our programme, and they benefit greatly through the sports and non-sports activities we offer.
“We would love for all participants to go back home happy that they were a part of such an important event for the development of female team sports. Our athletes should be very proud of themselves.”
National Director Stanojevic also underlined how the presence of influential women in sports in Zrenjanin helped in putting the tournament under the spotlight.
Marina Maljković, coach of the Women’s Basketball National team, made a special appearance at the Opening Ceremony, expressing her admiration for the athletes. “It was wonderful to see the parade of athletes and meet them and their coaches,” Maljković shared.
“Our national team started here in 2019, in the same gym where they are playing now; and from there we went to Belgrade to win the bronze medal and continued on to win gold medals. I just want them to feel that same good feeling and enjoy our sport. Everyone who has started playing sports is already a champion and that is definitely the biggest joy.”
