Building a bridge of sports exchanges between China and Serbia - Serbian coaches Chinese basketball dream

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhong Ya

"I hope to become a bridge for sports exchanges between Serbia and China." Serbian basketball coach Boyang Popovich told Xinhua News Agency reporters. In the Charming Central and Eastern European Zone, which was first established in Ningbo, the 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and the International Consumer Products Expo, a bright exhibition board shows the Sino-Serbia basketball cooperation project that Popovich is engaged in.

"This year marks my seventh year of living in China. I feel comfortable and meaningful to develop my basketball career in China," said Popovich, 42. More than a dozen Chinese children were playing in the booth, and occasionally shot curious eyes at the 2.10-meter-tall foreigner.

In 2019, Popovich and Chinese partner Li Yanbei jointly founded Ningbo Zhongsai Sports Culture Communication Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhongsai Sports"), committed to promoting China-Sai Sports cultural exchanges and enhancing China-Sai Youth Sports. The company's main businesses in the basketball sector include: promoting the local introduction and integration of Serbian youth training system and coach training system, creating a platform for multinational basketball competition and cultural exchanges, and promoting the holding of international events.

"In the first year of my arrival in China, the Chinese people's heartfelt love for basketball has attracted me deeply. Chinese teenagers have great potential, and I hope to use my professional knowledge and professional experience to help them grow." Popovich said.

Popovich has 13 years of basketball coaching experience. He is currently accumulating experience through contact with students of different ages in China from elementary school to university to develop a training system that conforms to China's national conditions. Zhongsai Sports has provided professional basketball training for more than 1,200 young people in Ningbo City, and 350 basketball students are currently undergoing regular training. In August last year, the company led the students to Serbia and participated in the 10-day Zhongsai basketball summer camp with basketball teenagers from many European countries.

12-year-old Ningbo girl Zhang Jinglan has been studying basketball with Popovich for 5 years. "After learning basketball, I became brave and no longer crying. During the summer camp of Zhongsai basketball, I met Serbian children very enthusiastic. On the second day of my arrival, two local children gave me the bracelets they made as gifts." She told reporters.

Her father Zhang Zheyuan believes: "More than the specific projects carried out, it is more important that coach Popovich introduced Serbian sports concepts to China. The fighting spirit of Serbian children on the court is worth learning."

Popovich introduced that Sino-Serbian sports are also introducing Serbian cooperation projects such as tennis and judo. "Our goal is to create a multi-level sports cooperation project between China and Serbia from the national to the local level." In terms of the "three major balls", Serbia's men's, women's basketball, men's and women's volleyball teams are all world-class, and the men's football team also has certain competitiveness in Europe. In addition, Serbia also performed well in the fields of tennis and water polo.

At this expo, Ningbo Children's Sports Association, Serbia's Singidunum University, and Zhongsai Sports signed an agreement on the Zhongsai basketball camp and sports space projects. Dragana Milica Nikolic, Secretary of State of Serbia's Ministry of Economy, attended the signing ceremony.

"China and Serbia have broad space for sports cooperation. Youth sports education exchanges are of great significance to deepening the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, and trust is the cornerstone of economic cooperation." Nikolic told reporters.

In recent years, China and Serbia have close economic and trade cooperation. According to statistics from China Customs, the import and export trade volume in mid-2024 was US$5.73 billion, an increase of 31.8% over the previous year.

"China's basketball market is very broad." Popovich believes that this expo provides the company with an excellent platform to showcase basketball projects, and we look forward to more sports exhibitors participating in the expo next year. (End)