Sports organizations from Srbac will be allocated 180,000 marks this year, the highest amount to date and an increase of 80,000 KM compared to seven years ago.
Marko Miholjčić, Head of the Department for Economy, Agriculture, and Social Activities of the Municipality of Srbac, stated that the budget plan envisages support for 24 sports organizations from the first to the third category, including co-financing the costs of renting terms for their training in the sports hall.
“Every year we strive to increase the amount because we know how much effort they put in to survive and achieve notable results. I believe that these funds are still not sufficient, but we strive to offer our support,” said Miholjčić. He was one of the members of the organizational committee for the selection of the best athletes of the Municipality of Srbac for the year 2023, held in recent days, and emphasizes that the competition has not been this quality for a long time.
“We had a difficult task to select the best clubs and competitors in all categories, and it is certain that the financial support from the budget has given many a boost to achieve better placement,” said Miholjčić.
The President of the Youth Table Tennis Club Srbac, Mića Kurtović, said that they have won significant awards for the best club and the best sports worker to date, and their member Matej Topalović was recently declared the best athlete of Srbac under 18 years of age.
“We are classified in the first category organizations and an increase in funds from 4,000 to 6,000 KM is anticipated. We compete in the First League of Republika Srpska and aim to win the first place in the foreseeable future. We are the organizers of an international table tennis tournament with participants from Serbia and BiH, and we also host humanitarian tournaments,” highlighted Kurtović.
Among the sports organizations that have received increased funds is also the Municipal Football Association of Srbac, which encompasses nine men’s and one women’s football club, along with a newly founded small football club, a feat not even larger local communities can boast.
Branko Grahovac, the president of the association, said that significant efforts have been made in the past four years to secure funds from the Government of RS, Football Association of RS and BiH, and other donors for the renovation of the infrastructure of football clubs, resulting in investments of 650,000 KM.
“In Bajinci, a roof on the stands worth 50,000 KM was installed, in Mali Sitneši the renovation of changing rooms and the asphalt parking lot worth 68,000 KM is nearing completion, in Prijebjezi several thousand marks were invested in the renovation of the changing room, and in Kukulje 75,000 KM was approved for the construction of a roof on the stands of Mladi Krajišnik,” said Grahovac.
He emphasizes that the installation of a roof on the new facility of Srbac’s second-league club, Sloga, is underway, adding that 400,000 KM was invested in the construction of changing rooms and 24,000 KM in installing reflectors on the auxiliary stadium.
“Our football association organizes the city tournament in small football, a tradition half a century old, and we were the initiators of the renovation of the stands at the small sports stadium, where the matches are played, costing about 34,000 KM. Without financial support from the municipal budget, we would not be able to carry out such initiatives nor advocate for significant donor funds to come to Srbac,” highlighted Grahovac.
The best
The most successful young athlete of the Municipality of Srbac for the year 2023 is Nemanja Vučenović, a member of the basketball club Student Igokea, who won the Junior Basketball Champions League in Turkey with this club, and the best sports team is the women’s football club Sloga. The selection of the best athletes, held on February 13th, has been traditionally organized for more than two decades by Radio Srbac, under the patronage of the municipality.
Source: Glas Srpske
