We are used to having interviews with the men of the sport, but today we have a special guest, who is playing a very big role in Minifootball in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but wisely prefers to stay in the shadows.
Strong person, great mother, beautiful woman and the right hand of the President of Minifootball Federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Ivana Babić-Rajković, is ready to share with us her thoughts about the results of the National Championship and plans for the near future.
– Hello Ivana! It is really great to see that Minifootball is not just led by men, but by women as well. You always support Bojan and you are a great team. Is it hard to work with your husband?
– First of all, I would like to thank you for paying attention to the subject “Woman in sport”. In most countries, woman in leadership is not that common. We are usually in the shadow of successful men. In my case, I would like to stay in the shadow, although my husband would like to put me in front even more than I am now. Sharing our private life and career is not as hard as it seems but it depends on the personality of both of us. We have an agreement that family comes first. If business or an obligation becomes a distraction, we do not change course but we change the way of doing it.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, woman in sport, especially in leadership is rare, so it took time for the players to accept me as part of the team. At the beginning, they respected me as Bojan’s wife, but over time, they’ve accepted that I am here at their disposal for any help.
In my career as well as in private life, my husband is my anchor, base, wind in my sails, with his support, I develop myself in a private and business plan.
– How do you see your place now in Minifootball of Bosnia and Herzegovina?
– Minifootball is always a challenge for me. Also, through this sport, I met new faces, great people, experienced amazing moments of victory and felt the bitter taste of defeat. All accomplishments that our National team achieved, or failures, I took it very personally, almost the same as if I was on the pitch. I am deeply connected with our Association, with this sport and whatever the future brings, I am ready. I believe that I can contribute to developing Minifootball in Bosnia and Herzegovina even more.
– Tell us about this year for your Federation, what did you achieve? What was done? Can you say that it was a successful year for Minifootball development in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
– Each year that we as an Association survive, is a successful year. We live in uncertain times and are still making great things happen as well as achieve great results. This is still a new sport in BiH, regardless of the fact that more than 3.000 players already play it. It is a new sport especially for people that sit in Ministries. It takes time to become a mass sport. We are still waiting to become official, but step by step it will come. More and more players become part of our story and really enjoy to be in it. Yes, we can say this is a successful year for us.
– The Minifootball season just finished in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the event was really amazing. It had a friendly atmosphere, strong teams, a high level of organization, the intrigue was kept until the last minute of the final, everything made this event marvelous. Tell us in your own words about it, how it was for you? How was it was for teams and players?
– This event we prepared for months. It is in our nature to be friendly but also highly competitive, and that is the reason why we get lots of support from the tribunes during the matches. Also, our concept of the event is made based on the habits of the supporters but also adjusted to the teams. On one hand, you have all the procedures to welcome teams from BiH and on the other hand, we prepare everything so that our supporters feel good. Also, great teams that participated this year attract a lot of people. I don’t want to insult anyone but our local team Ecos has lots of supporters here in Vitez and people enjoy their matches.
– ECOS were champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 years in a row, but this time Sunnyland took the title and will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina along with ECOS. Do you think we could see an all Bosnian final?
– As I said earlier, I am very attached to the Ecos team but we all knew that Sunnyland is a great team so both teams were amazing. Ecos were champions 4 years in a row, also runners up at the EMF Champions League 2017, but Sunnyland deserves this year’s title of National champions of BiH because they played great throughout. Also, I believe that both teams can achieve great results in Rimini, and I expect them both to be in the Final. I don’t want to say who I will support 🙂
– Let’s bet, which of your teams will place higher in the tournament?
– Each bet requires analysis and based on experience so far, my favorites are highly motivated so I will bet on Ecos. However, both teams are our representatives, and I wish them both success and, of course, good fun.
– So, you have a new champion, does it mean that we will see a lot of new faces at the EMF EURO 2020 amongst your national team?
– The national team will be constructed based on the capability of the players. Most of them are still here but we also need a few new faces to refresh the team. How many new players we will have, I still don’t know and those are things where I don’t interfere. Our coach has the final word.
– What is your personal strongest memory from previous EMF EUROs?
– EMF EURO 2015 in Vrsar is the best memory ever because of the bronze medal that we won. I also remember the EMF EURO 2017 in Brno. We had a great time there, but our strongest emotions were in Szekesfehervar in 2016. Because of our national team, the intrigue till the last match, I cried and laughed at the same time. I still remember that I heard my broken heart after being knocked out. I couldn’t stand there and look at the players as they cried. After that, we were all sitting in the hotel and we enjoyed the moment.
– You will host the third group of the EMF Nations Games in July, which will see the Croatia, Hungary and Albania visit yourselves. Tell us, where it will be, what can we expect and are you ready to host an international event?
– You can expect good organization, but also great matches. Bosnian people are well known for their hospitality, friendship and humor, so our guests will take great memories from BiH.
– Your events always see the stadium full, do you think the support will help Bosnia and Herzegovina to finish first in your group?
– Supporters always help the players, so, we believe that they can help us to take the first place. We always hope for the best, we always give our best, so we hope that luck will be on our side.
– We get asked a lot of questions in EMF, like how to become a player of a national team of a country, or how do teams participate in a particular cup. How can people join your National Cup or become a player of the BiH National Minifootball team?
– The national competition is well for potential players. Our leadership pays attention to each player and send invitations to several of them. Each year we have team preparations here in our camp in Vitez where players train every day and show their abilities. After that, our coach organizes the team and sends a final invitation for the National team.
– What is your plan for the next two years? What awaits your teams and players in the future?
– Two years in the future seems far, but they will come around very fast. Firstly, I hope that Minifootball will be recognized as an official sport in BiH so it will be much easier to find sponsors. Also, I hope that more and more players will take chances to get to the National team through their local Leagues and Finals in Vitez. Regarding me, in the next two years, I will do my best to make this sport spread. When we talk about my position in our Association, I will follow the road of my husband, try to be a great support for him but at the same time develop my career. I would like to see more women join the EMF Family and this could be some kind of message for all men that they should include women in their National Association. As we in BiH say, women hold up three pillars of the house.