The wars do not end when the shots cease and stop falling the bombs. There end the fighting, but the war lasts much more. Years, which as long as they pass cannot erase some scars. Most are seen in the bodies, in the streets, in the buildings … others are interiors: the pain that causes the loss, the anguish to find the missing … Among this, many of the Bosnia and Herzegovina selection players were born and grew. 30 years ago, his country was hell.
Former Dzanan Musawhich cannot be in the Eurobasket due to an abdominal injury, was born in 1999, four years after Dayton's agreements in Paris ended the conflict. “I am a child of the war. When I was born, I had finished, but I felt it the same”he says. His father, Rusmir, fought in the war and had 2,000 soldiers in charge. He considers him his hero after hearing hundreds of stories of war. “We weren't there, but we felt it. We are the first generation that was lucky to live without that war,” he appreciates.
The city of Musa was besieged for three years
Musa was born in Bihac, which was besieged for three years, between 1992 and 1995. The inhabitants survived the bombings protecting themselves in shelters. No electricity, without water, just without foodbecause trucks with humanitarian aid used to be kidnapped before reaching their destination. The siege of the town is not well known, because the news focused mainly on Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital.
I am a child of the war. When I was born I had finished, but I felt it the same. My father told me that the only thing that mattered day after day was to remain alive
In the region there was only one hospital that did not supply between the injured and those who suffered the siege. Diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis extended rapidly. The muses lost two twin girls during the conflict. “My father told me that the only thing that mattered day after day was to remain alive. We take it for granted. We are not grateful enough to realize that people had nothing to eat. Now we are sad because we don't have an iPhone. My mentality is that I am happy to be alive, “summarizes the escort, just signed by BC Dubai.
Dzanan Musa celebrates a basket with the selection of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But if there is a name that causes chills when remembering the Bosnian war, that is Srebrenica It is part of the list of locations that have been marked forever by horror. In mid -July 30 years of the greatest perpetrated massacre were completed during that conflict. More than 8,000 Muslim bosnians were executed in a few days at the hands of the Serbobosnio army which carried out an ethnic cleaning in what was supposed to be an area declared safe by the United Nations, which had displaced there 400 blue helmets from the Netherlands. It is considered to be the biggest genocide on European soil since World War II.
Sulejmanovic was born in a forest near Srebrenica
Near there, on July 13, 1995, between so much death, Emir Sulejmanovic was bornan Endesa League classic that has just signed with Unicaja. His mother brought the world in the middle of a forest with the help of his aunts. Until two months did not see him a doctor. “That's why It is a miracle that is still alive “he says now.
It is a miracle that is still alive
His father was made prisoner and sent to a concentration camp. And he should feel lucky. Many others ended in common graves. About 750 have been discovered. As counted in 'Las Abulturaras', a taine taine story, years later it was still a Mission almost impossible to identify the bodies, many of them mutilated, with remains in different graves and separated by up to 50 kilometers away. Some were more than two decades in a morgue waiting for their DNA to coincide with that of someone looking for a missing relative. It is estimated that a thousand bodies have not yet been recovered.
Emir Sulejmanovic, on the left, in a selection match; Already the right, as a child next to his mother.
Men were separated from women and children. Sulejmanovic's mother took his brother to a Red Cross camp in neutral zone. From there they wanted to move to Germany, where a father's brother was, but no longer accepted refugees. “The options were the United States, Australia or Finland and we chose the latter for being closer to Bosnia”tells the power wing, which discovered basketball in Kaarina, a city to the south of the Nordic country. Now, he assures that every year he tries to travel to Bosnia to learn more about the hard history of his country.
Nurkic and a controversial shirt
That story changes a lot depending on what side I tell. In a Blazers party, Jusuf Nurkic, now in the jazz, wore a shirt with the name of nine Bosnian soldiers who died in the conflict. For some, heroes; For others, guerr criminalsto. In that meeting, in front was the Serbian Nikola Jokic.
Jusuf Nurkic looks a shirt with the names of Bosnian war heroes.
Nurkic was also born during the war, in 1994, in Tuzla. Very involved with your country, He has rebuilt the school he studied, has given health material to several hospitals, has financed the construction of housing … “My managers tell me that I am crazy and spending too much, but I am like that,” he says. On some occasion, some expenses of the Bosnian selection has even been offered given the delicate situation of the Federation.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation was admitted in FIBA in 1992 and a year later asked to participate In the Eurobasket that was held in Germany. In that team I played The current coach, Adis Beciragic, who would later change his name to Aziz Bekir after nationalizing Turkish. The coach remembers that The school in which they trained in very precarious conditions was bombarded On one occasion: “We barely manage to leave alive.” The team, despite everything, ended eighth in that tournament, which is still its best classification so far. “That generated feelings found. On the one hand, a great pride and happiness. On the other, I feared for my family, because I had left her behind in the war.”
Aziz Bekir, Bosnia and Herzegovina coach.
A success to unite a country
In 2015, 20 years after the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina achieved one of the greatest successes in the history of his basketball: he was proclaimed champion of the Eurobasket U16. In that team led by Musa, mvp of the tournamentand with members of the current absolute selection, there were Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox. “We were as brothers”said the escort. Thousands of fans received them as stars in the streets of Sarajevo. “Knowing that you did something for your country, for your family and for the coming generations It was the best feeling of my life. I couldn't change it for anything “he sentenced.
The children of the war had made a huge allegation for a peaceful coexistence after suffering The consequences of a conflict that in three years caused 100,000 dead, 65% of them Muslim Bosnians, and almost two million displaced.
