City of Nis Basketball Association

The City of Nis Basketball Association is a sports association founded in the City of Nis, Serbia. For the past 65 years, we have gathered thousands of sports workers, referees, coaches, players, and physical education teachers from the southeast part of Serbia. The objectives of CNBA are to improve competencies in sports, healthy lifestyles, social inclusion, violence in marks, racism, and human rights in sports in general. According to the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to sports and social problems or social awareness issues, our work embraces all the aspects needed to open new perspectives of tolerance and proactive societies.

In the last four years, we aim to increase our field of interest and focus on significant public interest activities: healthy lifestyle, civil society, human rights, non-formal education, unemployment, environment protection, culture and art. We encourage sports, well-being, and personal development through teamwork and self-discovering. We participate in local, national, and international projects. The change should come from our members and us for genuinely sustainable development. We find it essential to consider the community's strengths, not only if needed, and the area where local assets meet local needs is the point of our focus. We recognise that organisations have knowledge, skills, and practices that are effective and valuable. We want to unleash this potential and encourage full and active community engagement.

Digital innovations are a huge part of our work. The COVID-19 pandemic led to digital transformation in the whole sector and proved that youth workers must always be prepared to transfer their activities online. For this reason, the integration of digital technologies into the field of youth work is crucial. We strive to create projects where youth workers and youngsters learn new ways to raise awareness & improve welfare through digital technologies involvement. As a sports federation, we connect technologies with physical activity and bring the most significant advantage out of it.

The main objectives of CNBA are:

- to promote active citizenship, solidarity, tolerance and understanding while simultaneously decreasing prejudices and increasing society's tolerance through cultural experience;

- to promote the importance of sport and a healthy lifestyle and the benefits that come with it;

- to explore the opportunities that new technologies offer to sports, educational and youth fields;

- to increase cultural & historical awareness;

- to bring people together through volunteerism, thus contributing to a vibrant community;

- to inform and raise awareness about the EU, its democratic policies and values;

- to support young people in their personal development through participation in European education programs and projects in the field of education, sport, science, culture etc.;

- writing and organising diverse projects, activities and events relevant to the current youth needs and existing problems;

- integration of vulnerable youth groups in society, including students, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, unemployed, youngsters from rural areas etc.

Our target group is young people aged 18-30 living in the Nis region. We focus on people with fewer opportunities, especially economic, social, and geographical obstacles and educational difficulties. Our goal is to guide these young people to become active members of society, reappraise values, and develop necessary skills and competencies outside the framework of formal education.

Regarding the year-by-year activities of sports and physical activity programs, we create opportunities for children and youth to participate in dialogue and decision-making by working or volunteering. Our sports programs are focused on education and development (not winning), emphasising skills improvement, tactical knowledge, enhanced confidence, positive social relationships, choices, and enjoyment. We aim to create opportunities for young people who want to be active, learn something new and gain new experience and knowledge for personal and professional development. Concerning our expanding interest in different social issues, our volunteers have organised various seminars, workshops and projects tackling the problems of peer violence, hate speech, discrimination, and similar topics. In addition, by managing events related to other social processes and issues, we want to raise awareness of active citizenship and encourage our youth to talk about these issues, take action and find creative solutions.

Our Team

Bojan Golubovic (the project coordinator)

Bojan is the president and international project coordinator of the City of Nis Basketball Association. He holds an MSc in Economics, with rich financial and operational knowledge and knowledge of regulations, policies, and procedures that affect the NGO sector. Self-motivated team member offering a positive attitude and flexible schedule, with strong communication and organisation skills. Experienced in strategic planning and implementation, planning and operating an annual budget, and overseeing marketing and communications efforts. Innovative goal-setter with a vision of the future for the organisation to plan, strategise and execute. He has vast experience in researching and policy proposal development.

Years of experience as an entrepreneur make him develop a set of skills essential for successful project implementation. Bojan can understand needs in the field, productively manage time and budget, and coordinate projects effectively with the highest quality. One of his most essential qualities is anticipating potential issues and effectively mitigating them. He successfully coordinated the Association in the past ten years and ensured all members were on the same page. Bojan is an exemplary team member who contributed significantly to the Association's development. His organisational, communication and problem-solving skills were invaluable to the success of our past projects. In addition, his teamwork-oriented personality motivates everyone to do their tasks as well as possible, putting the project and the organisation above personal interests.

Milan Kreckovic (training expert)

Milan is a highly skilled and experienced part of our team with a track record of success. He is professional, courteous, highly organised, and committed to obtaining the best possible results. His communication skills make him always responsive and he provides clear, direct answers to all questions. In addition, Milan has a first-class relationship and interpersonal skills, providing the ability to communicate at all levels with policy and decision-makers, practitioners, service providers and clients.

As a former basketball player and a present basketball referee at the national level, he is committed to developing the best practices in using basketball and sport as education tools. Milan teaches athletes the rules and techniques of the sport and assists them in developing better coordination, balance, and strength. As a result, he helped hundreds of young athletes reach their full potential, go beyond their current level of performance, and reach a new level of skills. Further, Milan also provides athletes with essential advice on how to stay safe and protect themselves from potential injuries. Years of experience in the non-formal education field allow him to acquire the necessary skills to effectively transfer his knowledge to others, bringing out the best in them.

Milica Vasic (communication coordinator)

Milica is Studying International Management at the Faculty of Economics, University of Niš. She is an outstanding communicator with excellent public speaking and writing skills. Milica worked on various projects and initiatives to promote social justice and improve the well-being of young people in our community. Her innovative approaches and dedication have earned her the respect and admiration of her peers and the trust and support of our organisation and the community she lives in.

While being a youth centre coordinator in Romania, she got skilled in developing engaging content for social media, managing DIOR activities, and having an active media presence. Milica is an experienced youth campaign leader, highly passionate about helping young people reach their potential. She proved herself an effective leader by implementing successful campaigns, utilising creative strategies to mobilise young people and developing solutions to social problems. Milica has also served as a mentor to young people, assisting with their personal and professional growth.