#Article (Archive)

Serbian national vows to help basketball improve

Jan 12, 2010, 3:23 PM

It might not be as popular as football in the county but it has no doubt witnessed a tremendous improvement in recent times.

One basketball club that is becoming a household name in Gambian sports is Porcupines Basketball Sporting Club, which was founded a few months ago, despite the fact that it has produced quite a large number of stars that are always training intensively at the Independence Stadium Basketball Courts, ahead of next month's six teams Invitational Basketball Tournament at the Stadium.

The Porcupines Basketball Sporting Club Coach, Darko-Petrovic, a Serbian national working with the World Food Programme (WFP) and Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) has vowed to help basketball players improve before the end of his six-month stay in the country.

The Porcupines Basketball Sporting Club under the inspirational leadership of Ben E.K. Hooper whose contribution in the development of sports in the country is undeniably unprecedented, according to coach Darko, who spent 15 years playing basketball in countries like Germany, Holland and his home land Serbia, has expressed his ambition to help promote and improve Porcupines Basketball Club.

Darko-Mo Petrovic who took charge of the Porcupines Basketball Sporting Club in December told Pointsport that he is ready to share his international experiences with the Gambian young basketball players.

According to him, he is of the belief that the Gambian basketball players can excel internationally.

"I believe there are quite a good number of stars who can realise their ambition of becoming an international basketball stars, but the only problem is the attitude which needs to be changed for the betterment of their career," Darko told the media on Friday. This is shortly after his Porcupines side conceded a heavy defeat against Serrekunda East Basketball Club by 45 points to 32, at the Independence Stadium Basketball Courts as part of the return leg match under the watchful eyes of Ben E.K. Hooper, the chairman of Porcupines Basketball Sporting Club.

"There are a handful of potential basketball players and they are very athletic people who can be successful if they remain focused and committed," coach Darko pointed out.

The 24-year-old, however revealed that the high light of his stay in the country is purposely to select out the best 12 basketball players that would be offered the opportunity to travel to Dakar for a weeklong basketball training camp before the end of March.

This, according to the former semi-professional basketball star who plays for different countries during his playing days would also avail Gambian basketball players the unique opportunity to rope shoulders with professionals in Dakar, which is the second best African country in the FIFA Basketball rankings behind Angola.