Serbian cricket - in search of a home

Tekst na srpskom možete pročitati u nastavku

From amidst the shadows of Kalemegdan fortress to the pastures of Ušće, from the plains of Karlovčić to the bumpy football grounds of Petrovčić, cricket in Serbia has enjoyed something a nomadic existence since its founding in 2007. With age, however, comes a yearning for a more certain place of residence.

For 2012, the Serbian Cricket Federation has one main goal - to find a permanent home for cricket in Serbia; preferably in the vicinity of Belgrade, where the vast majority of our players currently reside.

Though a complicated sport to some, cricket has relatively simple needs - a grassy, flat circle, of preferably 120 to 150 metres in diametre. If Serbian land is perfectly suited for agriculture and viticulture, then the needs of cricket should not be terribly hard to meet.

Though this will come as a surprise to many of you, cricket nowadays exists in most European countries. Serbia, however, remains the only Federation without a permanent ground. Croatia, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, to name but a few, all possess at least one dedicated cricket ground.

The challenges of identifying and obtaining a suitable patch of soil continue to inhibit the growth of the sport in Serbia.

Despite this limitation, Serbia remains one of the most respected and top-performing teams in the region, having reached the semi-finals of this year's European Twenty20 tournament in Budapest with a team comprised almost exclusively of home-grown players - a relative novelty for European cricket.

Securing a permanent home would, however, allow Serbia to apply for Affiliate Membership of the International Cricket Council - Europe, cricket's official governing body in Europe.

With membership comes a number of additional benefits - including participation in European tournaments and various forms of support (both financial and in-kind) to further develop cricket, including in schools and with female players.

In 2020, cricket will once again become an Olympic sport, and Serbia may then be in a position to qualify. With a combination of domestic and diaspora talent, the pool of potential is deep. Without a permanent home, however, the relatisation of that potential remains obstructed.

We therefore encourage you to share you ideas and suggestions for a suitable home for cricket in Belgrade and/or its surroundings.

The Serbian Cricket Federation is looking to invest substantial resources over the next decade in equipment and facilities, and believe we can offer a local community a valuable opportunity to regenerate and revitalise a neglected patch of land.

The proposed facilities will be open to all those - schools, universities, public institutions and businesses - interested in learning more about cricket, the second most played and popular sport in the world.

The Serbian Cricket Federation has a team of dedicated coaches and players ready and willing to introduce all newcomers to this most fascinating of sports.

All we require is your assistance to help us identify a permanent home for cricket in Serbia!

To learn more about cricket in Serbia, please visit the website of the Serbian Cricket Federation by clicking here.

Srpski kriket - u potrazi za terenom

Od podnožja Kalemegdanske tvrđave do proplanka na Ušću, od livade unutar „najšire ulice na svetu" u sremskom selu Karlovčić pa do fudbalskog terena u Petrovčiću, naši kriket timovi i igrači lutaju još od začetka kriketa u Srbiji 2007.godine.

Za 2012, Kriket Federacija Srbije ima jedan cilj, a to je pronalaženje, priprema i izgradnja adekvatnog terena u okolini Beograda, u kojem većina ovdašnjih „kriketaša" boravi.

Premda pravila kriketa mogu delovati komplikovano, infrastukturne potrebe su vrlo jednostavne - potrebna je ravna, travnata površina okruglog ili ovalnog oblika, prečnika od 120-150 metara.

Nekima ovo može zvučati čudno, ali kriket se danas igra u skoro svim Evropskim državama. Ipak, Kriket federacija Srbije je jedina nacionalna federacija u Evropi koja još uvek nema svoj teren. Slovenija, Hrvatska, Slovačka, Mađarska, Rusija, Rumunija, Makedonija, Bugarska, Grčka i Turska (zapadnije i severnije zemlje da i ne pominjemo) imaju barem po jedan adekvatan kriket teren.

Teškoće identifikovanja i dobijanja prava korišćenja ili kupovine odgovarajućeg zemljišta glavna su prepreka razvoju kriketa, drugog najmasovnijeg sporta na svetu, u Srbiji.

Uprkos ovom ograničenju i izuzetno oskudnim fondovima, Kriket Federacija Srbije je jedna od najuglednijih federacija u srednjoj, istočnoj i jugoistočnoj Evropi, a naša reprezentacija beleži zavidne rezultate. Ove godine, naša seniorska reprezentacija je došla do polufinala EuroT20 turnira u Mađarskoj! Ono što nas takođe ističe, i u čemu smo zaista lideri, jeste akcenat na domaćim igračima i pružanju šanse svakome ko poželi da se iole ozbiljnije pozabavi kriketom.

Dobijanje adekvatnog terena, zvanične „kuće kriketa", omogućiće našoj federaciji da u narednom periodu postane punopravni član Evropskog kriket saveta, gde trenutno imamo status posmatrača, što će dalje, naravno, pozitivno uticati na razvoj ovog sporta kod nas.

2020. godine kriket će se vratiti na olimpijske igre, sa kojih odsustvuje već više od jednog veka. Prisustvo Srbije, makar samo u kvalifikacijama za OI u ovako masovnom sportu, svakako će doprineti popularizaciji i dobrom imidžu naše zemlje. Uz kombinaciju talentovanih igrača iz domaćeg prvenstva i iskusnih igrača našeg porekla iz npr. Australije, Velike Britanije, Novog Zelanda i Južne Afrike, smatramo da imamo realnih osnova i nade za brz napredak i visoke sportske domete. Ipak, svaka godina, svaki mesec bez terena i adekvatnih, minimalnih uslova za trening i rad te šanse u mnogome smanjuju.

Kriket federacija Srbije investiraće znatne resurse u toku sledeće decenije u infrastrukturu, opremu i kadrove, te smatramo da lokalnim zajednicama možemo pružiti priliku da udahnu novi život zapuštenoj i zaparloženoj parceli ili postojećem sportskom terenu. Pomenuta infrastruktura biće otvorena za sve one koji žele da nauče i oprobaju se u ovom zanimljivom i u svetu veoma popularnom sportu!

Bićemo vam zahvalni na svakoj ideji i predlogu o odgovarajućoj površini za kriket teren u okolini Beograda.

Za više informacija o kriketu u Srbiji možete posetiti sajt Kriket federacije Srbije.