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Bijeljina hosts the first round of the Balkans Wheelchair Basketball League



​The first round of the Balkans Wheelchair Basketball League was played at the sports hall of the High School ‘Filip Višnjić’ in Bijeljina. It was ceremonially opened by Bijeljina Mayor Ljubiša Petrović. The tournament was organised by Wheelchair Basketball Club ‘Bijeljina’, which celebrates 20 years of existence. Deserving individuals and institutions were awarded accolades for the support during the two decades of their work.
 
- This is a good opportunity to be good hosts, together with the WBC ‘Bijeljina’, and to make sure our guests leave Bijeljina with nice memories. The city administration will continue to support the activities of the WBC ‘Bijeljina’ in the social inclusion of persons with disabilities, and also in the realisation of their professional sport achievements. In the budget proposal for the next year we plan to provide better financial support to sport clubs with persons with disabilities – pointed out Mayor Petrović.
 
In addition to the WBC ‘Bijeljina’, the clubs WBC ‘Nais’ from Niš, WBC ‘Paramont’ from Podgorica, and WBC ‘Levski’ from Sofia participate in the Balkans Wheelchair Basketball League.
 
- This is the first Balkans Wheelchair Basketball League tournament in which clubs from four countries take part, and I am very pleased it is organised in Bijeljina, because I am a member of the WBC ‘Nais’ which played their first game here and WBC ‘Bijeljina’ is our twin club. This tournament raises the standards in organising games; we have referees from four countries, and live online video broadcast of the tournament and FIBA statistics, which makes us unique in the region. I would like to congratulate the twentieth anniversary to the WBC ‘Bijeljina’ and I wish the next anniversary will be celebrated at one of the European competitions – pointed out Marko Aleksandrović, the Commissioner of the Balkans Wheelchair Basketball League.
 
Vladimir Iskrov of the WBC ‘Levski’ from Sofia expressed his hope that the wheelchair basketball in the Balkans will become more than a social inclusion, and that the conditions for professional sport achievements of persons with disabilities will be made.
 
- Our club has 20 wheelchair basketball players, and we participated at six international tournaments this year. This is my third time in Bijeljina, and I can say that the organisation of the traditional Bijeljina tournament is great, and it is getting better each time. I am also very glad to see that this tournament and WBC ‘Bijeljina’ have a great support of the fellow citizens and the City Administration of the City of Bijeljina – added Iskrov.