Serbian coach s Chinese basketball dream

"I hope to be 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 at the 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and the International Consumer Goods Expo, a bright exhibition board shows the Sino-Serbian 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.

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-Saiwan sports and cultural exchanges and enhancing China's youth sports capabilities. 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 to more than 1,200 young people in Ningbo, Zhejiang. 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.

Popovich introduced that China-Serbia Sports is also introducing cooperation projects such as tennis and judo in Serbia. "Our goal is to build a multi-level sports cooperation project between China and Serbia from the national to the local level."

(according to Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhong Ya)