BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

Zlatko Dizdarevic, AIM Sarajevo

The minute plans for dismembering the common state of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia prevailed, sport was promoted into a special weapon. The quality of the professional sports in Bosnia and Herzegovina proceeded to drop to a record low. After the war, all national teams were as a rule composed without athletes from Republika Srpska, and, until recently, without those from the Croatian regions of "Herzeg Bosnia" as well. The athletes did not even try to hide the reasons -- their participation is prevented by those politicians who believe that it would strengthen those aspects of the state against which nationalistic policies used to fight.

As in the past, basketball players went the farthest in making the transition from rigid politics to sportsmanship and professionalism. As of last year the Basketball Association of Republika Srpska joined the process of unifying professional-level basketball in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As far as it is known, basketball players are generally in favor of organizing a future Adriatic League to include teams from Slovenia to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but many politicians are still against it. Their position boils down to the question: "Why did we fight in the first place if we are going get back together again?" The situation is the gravest in soccer. Soccer attracts the most spectators and money, it has the greatest influence, and reflects the most political and criminal interests of all other sports. Unfortunately, politicians from the newly-created entities do not realize that what is at stake in soccer exceeds their own petty motives and war profiteers are stricken with panic the minute their realize awareness of the common state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is growing. For the time being, however, soccer remains an important arena for politics and big business. Those who are in charge do not care the least about ruining the careers of gifted young men who are willing to play under a single banner and coat of arms even if they do not feel as passionately about them as they did in the past. Time, however, is on the athletes' side. Once there is enough bread, games will naturally follow.