HISTORY It Has Been Exactly 20 Years Ago, in a Cafe, with Real Enthusiast
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HISTORY It has been exactly 20 years ago, in a cafe, with real enthusiast and lover of basketball, in a far far land called Sydney Australia, when any talk of sport was mainly about rugby and football, an idea was formed and came to fruition, to start a basketball club. This happened in the month of June 1990. The first Serbian Basketball Club was born in Australia, under the name of DELIJE. The name given to the staunch supporters of Red Star Belgrade (either in the soccer or basketball) Delije means brave, strong and even handsome young man. The founder and director of KK Delije, Mr Misho Putica, who was also the first member and Coach of this young club. In last two decades countless trophies were won. Amongst those that were won were: 25 first place around the Sydney Metro area and 18 other placings, 14 Draze Mihalovic Cups (2 Open Men, 2 Open Women, 8 Boys U18, 2 Girls U16) 3 times Champions in Alburn and 2nd Place in U16 Girls in Canberra. The responsible people for all these wins are the players themselves who grew through the club and later left and continued an amateur or professional career in other teams and other representative squads throughout the world. It wasn’t easy for a enthusiastic and young trainer, Misho Putica, but he gathered and attracted the interest of young people and their parents to the basketball club. This small band of people, held the club morally as well as financially to become the first Serbian Club in Sydney Australia. On the bases that the club was founded, the success of the teams in the first few years, was all due to the fact we always felt like family. Strong support, full trust and the name that brought all this together, DELIJE. 1990 – 1995 This was the most difficult period in the history of the club. A time when we struggled to get this started, as there was no money for the Gym hire, uniforms, balls and other items that were important for a club to have, because at that time, not much was said or known about “basketball”. With all the troubles the club has had, in February 1991, in Sydney, for the first time, a Serbian team began to compete in an official Championship league. KK Delije had two teams in the Men’s Divisions and one team in the women’s division. The Club had 3 teams Men’s 1st Team: Miso Putica (igrac i trener ) Sipka Stefan, Konjevic Dejvid, Gaic Tomislav, Naprta Dragan, Nikola Miric, Dudukovic Jovo, Vuksic Zeljko i Todorevic Dragan Men’s 2nd Team: Dragan Zabic ,Zoran Skoric, Sasa Alavanja S.Tomson ,Milorad Komlenic, John Allins ,Vladimir Barac, MilanPapic, Petar Skoric & Coach Miso Putica Women’s Team: Dragana Ivanovic,Gordana Jokic ,Mirjana Vrankovic, Sandra Tepsa,Gorica Bubnjevic , Vesna Tepsa & Coach Miso Putica In this time the first trophy was won for Delije. We won in the Auburn Comp and came second place in Bankstown after a loss in the Finals against the Old Boys 48 : 43, even though Delije was winning the first half with a result of 28 : 20. That Delije generation held onto its European style of play, charm and creativity. It was a team to be considered the Dream Team, it was then came into being, Delije a club of very talented players that earned respect as a representative of Serbian basketball in Sydney Australia. 1995 – 2000 In the second half of the decade Delije continued a series of successes. This was a time when we had to show that basketball was taking it’s spot right next to a very popular soccer. Through hard work and perserverance, Delije earned its reputation. In 1993, Delije travelled to Melbourne to the first ever Draze Mihajlovic Cup. We came to the finals but the White Eagles won with the help of a very well known Coach, D. Uzelac (he came from Zagreb where he coached, KK Ciboni, the younger teams) The Girls came in second place with White Eagles being the winners in this instance The Winners of the Cup over the next 3 to 4 years were mainly won by: Milan Vrankovic , Nikola Miric ,Dragan Naprta ,Vanja Jokanovic , Minister Jankovic ,Oleg Koktovic While for the women's team are Mirjana Vrankovic ,Jelena Ivan Novkovic ,Nadia Gulic Bojan, Milica Djurdjevic In that period Delije received 12 trophies in the Bankstown Competition which represents a major success for Club which only just started to stand on its own two feet. It should be noted that from this generation Milan Vrankovic’s career continued in England and after in Sweden. Nikola Miric went to the AIS (Australia Institute of Sport ) where he received an invitation for Under 18 year Men’s team in the Australian Squad. That year they won the World Series which being held in Greece and then won a scholarship in an American College. 2000-2005 A new Century, the First Olympics in Sydney Australia and a new generation of basketball players. 2000 has been a generation of loans made. There came some new kids who in the next 5 years with her youth and eagerness left a deep mark in the history of the club. Names like Miljan Gligorevic, Bane Zekanovic, Sinisa Bukarica, Sanjina Jukica, Slavena Gulica, Aco Alavanja,Drazena Despota, Zarka Romica and then onto Petra Omcikusa, Sase Milanka, Damjana Borovine, Luke Nikolica, Dejana Pajovica, Mirka Djerica, Dragana Devica, Stiva Markovica and Ace Opacica will always stay in the history of the Delije Basketball Academy. Players who who ruled in those years and who have earned the club the next 28 trophies (15 in the Bankstown competition and three in Draza Mihajlovic Cup. Here we should not forget those young girls who have dominated the competition under 14’s, U16’s and U18’s in which they won 10 more trophies. Most responsible for the success’s of the time were Maja Peric, Tamara Djeric, Ana Sapina, Teodora Djuric, Sonja Golub, Milena Koprivica, John Bardak, Emilia Mrkela, Matilda Ratvanong, Jelena Kodori and Sanja Radmanovic. As in every generation 4-5 very good players were produced who continued their career in other clubs around Australia and the world. Dejan Pajovic and Dragan Devic were taken into from Westfield Sport School (best known school of sport) and Luka Nikolic take representive team Bankstown association, Steve Markovic played in representative team in Bankstown and quickly after that was taken into the NBL Razorbacks and finally went to play for Red Star in Belgrade, that we should not forget the Aca Opacic which taken by Westfield Sports high school and was picked up by the AIS and then to America to play college basketball. 2005-2010 What to say about the forthcoming five-year period. Except that was a time of great change. In early 2005, the club changed its name to DELIJE BASKETBALL ACADEMY and thus satisfying one basic idea, the idea that the club has always built and stressed, and that is to teach young children to enjoy playing this wonderful game under the hoops. Next big change was club was the commitment of two young and ambitious coaches Milan Mesaroski and Fab Zenatti. After these changes, the club returned to what do what was best and that is to make young basketball players. As always working with a distinctive generation which has seen countless talented players and teams which won many new trophies and brought joy to myself and everyone at the club. Among them have been Dalibora Novakovic, Dejana Boskovic, Milos Djukic who during competition were the most talented U18. Also, Emilija Jez, Jasmine Saltirov, Tamara Spoa, Sarah Wannous U16, Jarrod Tobin ,Radovan Tatomir, Nikola Pupovac, Vasilije Maric U16, Alexandra Putica, Chloe Tobin, Sabrina Zenatti, Rachel Arkley U14, Mitchell Rogers ,Jake Cairns, Dylan Davoodifar, Mahdi Akbar,Tomas Anaki, Nemanja Djukic, Dejan Stevic, Brane Gligorovic, Adrian Bogdanovski U14, Marko Putica, Lazar Mesaroski, Evanda Tuala , Stefan Stijacic, Dushan Krsticevic , Giorgio Tzortzis, Miro Gligorevic, Kristian Caporale U12, Ashleigh Rogers, Megan Arkley, Siaan Mason, Tayla Saltirov, Sandra Spoa, Emilija Mesarovski, Tamara Stijacic, Milena Spoa U12, Luka Kaludjerovic , Stefan Cvetkovic, Matthew Jibrail, Stefan Kotevski, Raucheen Shamoon, Nikolas Jukic, Njegoslav Gligorovic, Aleksandar Tadic and Aleksandar Spoa U22. Like previous generations, (and this is a record) 10-11 quality players came out of that. Dalibor Novakovic played for the NSW State which he then left to try playing in Serbia, Dejan Boskovic played for Youth League, although only 17 years old he too went and trailed to play for Serbia and Montenegro. Milos Djukic who was named MVP of U18 2008, 2009 (Most Valuable Player) has been accepted by Westfield Sports School with whom he was in America at the tournament of talented young players. Emilija Jez taken for NSW Metro Team, Jasmine Saltirov taken in Westfield sports schools, selected for the NSW State U16, she was the MVP in 2009. Alexandra Putica selected for the PSSA NSW State then along with Chole Tobin was selected to the NSW Metro Team. Brane Gligorović selected in the State NSW, Tayla Saltirov was chosen MVP of U12 2009, Njegoslav Gligorović was selected to go into the Youth League U / 22 then went to camp Dejan Bodiroga in Trebinje and staying to play in Serbia. Alexander Spoa was MVP in 2009 U / 18 who also was at the camp in Serbia with the intention to get himself a club. One phenomenal generation that has produced a record number of representative (REP) 24 players to date, which has not been succeeded by any club in Sydney for the past 20 years.