News - BVA

Best players and coaches of 2023 voted in Montenegro

by Press 08/12/2023

written by Press

After votes were cast by clubs, members of the Board of Directors as well as of the Coaching Commission of the Volleyball Federation of Montenegro (OSCG), the best and most promising volleyball players and the best coaches of the Balkan country for 2023 were eventually identified earlier this month.

Benjamin Hadžisalihović, who plays for OK Budva, has emerged as the best male player from domestic competitions. Hadžisalihović is a member of the Montenegrin men’s senior national team and has shown remarkable performances both in the domestic championship and in European competitions while playing for OK Budva. Hadžisalihović received seven votes, while competing for this recognition alongside Bojan Strugar (Budućnost volley / Milas Belediye Türkiye, 4 votes), Stefan Radević (Budućnost volley, 3 votes), and Matija Ćinćur (OK Budva).

On the other hand, moving to male players competing abroad, Đorđe Jovović, who has been competing in Slovenia for OK Triglav Kranj, has seized the relevant prize. Jovović participated with the senior national team in the 2023 edition of the CEV European Championship. In the 2022/2023 season, he was the top scorer in the Slovenian championship with as many as 525 points. As Triglav’s opposite, he has been performing in an impressive way this season as well, currently topping the scoring charts with 238 points scored and he is the best server as well with 23 aces in 11 rounds. Jovović won 10 votes, while Vojin Ćaćić (Al Faisali, Saudi Arabia) received four. The other competitors in contention were Marko Bojić (Al Jazeera, UAE) and Jovan Delić (Maccabi, Israel).

Nikola Đurović, a member of Jedinstvo, has claimed the award for the most promising player. At seventeen years old, Đurović was the youngest member of the senior national team of Montenegro at EuroVolley 2023. Moreover, he played with the U22 national team at the qualifiers for next year’s European Championship held this past summer in Italy. In the 2022/2023 season, Đurović was recognised as the best middle blocker in the age-group domestic championships of Montenegro. Đurović received 9 votes, while competing for the award against Luka Lojić (Budućnost volley, 4 votes) and Lazar Cimbaljević (Jedinstvo, 1 vote).

Miljan Bošković has been selected as the best coach in men’s domestic competitions for 2023. This past season, Bošković coached the Podgorica-based team Budućnost Volley, leading them to the runner-up position in the national league and in the national cup as well. He also guided the U22 national team in the European Championship qualifiers and was a member of the coaching staff for the men’s senior national team too. With 12 votes, Bošković secured the award edging Darko Prebiračević (2 votes) and Miloš Marković.

Tatjana Bokan will receive the prize for the best female player across domestic competitions for the year 2023. She represented the club OK Herceg Novi in the past season. Bokan celebrated a double crown in the 2022/2023 season and was chosen as the MVP of the National Cup final match. Bokan received 13 votes, thereby outclassing Teodora Čavić (Galeb Liko Soho Group, 2 votes) and Melisa Cenović (OK Herceg Novi).

Mina Dragović, who plays in Serbia for Jedinstvo Stara Pazova, is the best female player competing abroad. In the past season, Dragović, playing for Jedinstvo, became the national champion of Serbia, contributing significantly to her team’s success. She also delivered impressive performances with the senior national team of Montenegro in the CEV European Silver League, where Montenegro reached the Final Four tournament held in Austria. Dragović received 16 votes, while Danijela Džaković (Assitec, Italy / Tarnow, Poland) got five. The other competitors in contention for the award were Katarina Budrak (Bordeaux / Volley-Ball de Romans, France) and Dijana Vuković (CSO Voluntari 2005, Romania / OK Herceg Novi).

Kristina Božović, who plays for Luka Bar, is the recipient of the award for the most promising female player. As an opposite of Luka Bar, Božović consistently delivers impressive performances and frequently emerges as the top scorer in the domestic championship – the EPCG Super League. She is a member of the U19 and U21 national teams of Montenegro, and she represented her country at the Balkan Championships held last summer in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria, respectively. Božović secured eight votes, while Darja Popović (Budućnost volley) and Anastasija Bogojević (Morača) each received four. Gordana Madžgalj (Jedinstvo) received two votes, and Lana Rakočević (Budućnost volley) claimed one.

Vladimir Milačić, the coach of Luka Bar, is the top women’s coach across all domestic competitions held in 2023. Milačić guided the team from Bar to a second-place finish in the league phase of the national championship with a record of 15 wins and three losses. He received seven votes, while Mladen Miladinović (Jedinstvo) and Milan Marković (Akademija) claimed six apiece. Petar Koković (Galeb Liko Soho Group) received two votes.

08/12/2023 0 comment

Main North Macedonia

Numbers keep on growing for CEV School Project in North Macedonia

by Press 08/12/2023

written by Press

This past month, the Volleyball Federation of North Macedonia ran activities in conjunction with the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’ in Bitola and Skopje.

In Bitola, more than 30 children participated in a volleyball class organised as an extracurricular activity together with the local physical education teacher and the coaches from the VC Pelister Volley. Volleyball is currently on the rise in Bitola in terms of number of children interested in playing the game, which is growing year by year.

The project continues in a few elementary schools, and there are plans to expand it even to additional ones. In Skopje, at the primary school named after Jan Amos Komenski, the Fit Fan Volley volleyball club delivered a class attended by 20 children aged seven to nine. Fit Fan Volley is one of the latest clubs to join the CEV School Project and for now, they are doing it very successfully in terms of activities, number of children, and cooperation with local schools.

As for December, there are plans to hold activities and competitions to coincide with the end of the first quarter of the current school year.

08/12/2023 0 comment

Bulgaria Main

School Project sparks Volleyball fever in Bulgarian schools

by Press 04/12/2023

written by Press

This past November, the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BVF) organised two events under the umbrella of the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’.

The 8th SU Vasil Levski school in Sofia is where such an event took place. Children from the fifth grade of the school in Musagenitsa district took part in a demonstration exercise held on November 21. The kids received valuable lessons from coaches Svetozar Ivanov and Anton Vasiliev, who work for the Stoychev-Kaziyski Volleyball Academy (VASK) and under the watchful eye of Volleyball legends and former captains of the men’s national team, Evgeni Ivanov and Nikolay Ivanov. Enthusiasm quickly took over the pupils and for an hour they happily enjoyed the various exercises and tasks that were set for them in the cozy and warm gym. The children were divided into four teams – two for girls and two for boys, and everyone had equal opportunities to perform and impress.

“It is very important for us as a federation, and we are very happy that we can be partners in this project. We are part of a large-scale European project that aims to introduce the game of Volleyball to kids, for them to see how beautiful it is, how pleasant and how many things it will teach you. Play, learn, have fun with the coaches!”

Evgeni Ivanov

SU Alexander Ivanov–Chapai is an exemplary school. Nestled between three mountains – Rila, Rhodope and Sredna Gora, and near two rivers – Maritsa and Yadenitsa, it successfully combines the traditions of history with a modern and technologically up-to-date look. Over 500 children study there, and there are about 60 teachers, most of whom are young people. Cleanliness and warm comfort emanate from every room and corridor in the building, which also has an elevator for children with disabilities, an event hall, a library, a gym, a canteen, and the rooms for individual subjects are equipped with all the necessary tools. Transport is also provided for the children. The school in Belovo is proud of its many extracurricular and entertaining activities – such as robotics, mathematics, drawing, folk dances, a cheerleading squad and of course – Volleyball.

The interest in Volleyball motivated the school management to renovate one of the courtyard courts as well, so that more children could practice the game. The official opening was combined with the CEV School Project, and the ribbon was cut by Spaska Kuzmanova, director of the Alexander Ivanov – Chapai Secondary School, as well as Stoyko Stefanov, the newly elected mayor of Belovo. This happened in the presence of representatives of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, among them Vice-President David Davidov, Administrative Director Stanislav Nikolov, the coordinator for the national teams Nikolay Ivanov and BVF School Project Manager Adriana Marinkova.

04/12/2023 0 comment

Main Montenegro

School Volleyball programmes in full swing in Montenegro

by Press 01/12/2023

written by Press

The Volleyball Federation of Montenegro (OSCG) continues to work to grow the next generation of Volleyball players with the help of the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’.

The so-called ‘Free Volleyball School’ programme is up and running, and it has already involved as many as 200 young boys since the start of the school year. The OSCG recently visited schools in Pljevlja and Rožaje. In Bijelo Polje, a school named after Dusan Korac has joined the programme for the very first time, with some 20 boys attending the opening training session run there by the OSCG.

The highly successful EKO mini volleyball league with almost 900 participants is in full swing too. Matches have been contested across all age groups, namely girls born in 2011/2012, girls born in 2013/2014, and boys born in 2011. The youngsters are all visibly eager to play. In November alone, matches of the EKO mini volleyball league were played over two weekends. The next competition day is set for December 3, 2023.

01/12/2023 0 comment