Basketball as Business in Kosovo
(by Valon
Syla)
Hello and Welcome. From the studio of UN radio in Kosovo…
Atmosphere: Playing Basketball, cheering. 5 sec.
Many of the basketball players in the Kosovan Super-league
earn more than one thousand Euros per month. Some of the more talented players
have signed contracts of up to 4 and 5 thousand Euros – while international
players are being brought to Kosovo for salaries of 7 and 8 thousand Euros per
month.
This trend of developing local talent and recruiting
international players is a slippery financial slope to maintain. At least this
is what Linda Shala asserts. Shala
is the manager of the Basketball Club “Trepça” from Mitrovica.
Shala
“When basketball teams
are given a chance to play in international leagues then the international
sponsors will be involved and it will be easier to cover a part of expenses –
meaning that the salaries of the trainers and players will be much higher.”
Today’s businessmen in Kosovo are seeing the prospects of
future investment - pouring money into basketball teams, and youth training in
what are essentially basketball schools. Schools like Arda
Rei are fast becoming locations for young talent to
be discovered and groomed. Arda Rei
is one of the schools that has hired an International
Basketball Federation or FIBA licensed trainer, to train its students. In the
future they plan to supply the super-league with young hot prospects.
Atmosphere: Training in gym…
Agim Gruda
is one of the trainers who brings with him experience
working with famous Basketball teams in
Gruda
“Basketball is a
Business. I would say that except for those basketball players that are groomed
to supply the super-league, other player go to the lower leagues or become
trainers like me. And others may end up as referees and members of the sport
federation. So basically no one looses”
Youth from all around Kosovo join these “basketball
schools”. Many see their future in basketball – and young people from the ages
of 12 to 16 are being drawn like magnets to ‘basketball school’ gyms for after
school training. Their biggest hopes, as
one young player, Endrit Batalli,
puts it - to one day become a star of the Kosovo super-league.
Batalli
“My wish is to become a basketball player because I love
this sport and I want to join the international arena, while contributing to
Kosovan Sport.”
Others like 16 year old, Burim Krasniqi, believe that success in Basketball means good
life and profit.
Krasniqi
“I am training in basketball with hopes that after 3 to 4
years I will be able to play in one of the teams of the super-league, and today
basketball is not only sport as it used to be, but is also a business that is
well paid”
Legal experts in consultation with local and international
sports consultants have drafted a law that will be considered by the newly
elected Kosovo Assembly. If passed, the law will release Kosovo businessmen
from paying certain types of income tax after investing in local sports teams.
Meanwhile, basketball club managers are demanding membership
in the International Basketball Federation. The problem with this request is
one that also finds parallels in the area of international investment – nothing
can happen with such demands until Kosovo’s final
status is clarified.
Atmosphere: (Final whistle)
And that was all from this edition of UN radio in Kosovo.
Listen to us tomorrow at the same time and place. Thanks for listening.