Šabac: Champions of Inclusion

As part of the project "New Gym—Fair Play for Inclusion", a modern sports hall is being built at the "Vuk Karadžić" Primary School, one of the oldest in the country. The gym will host physical education classes, inclusive sports activities, and cultural events. This new space will open its doors to more than 800 children from "Vuk Karadžić" and "Sveti Sava" primary schools, and the "Bubamara" kindergarten, including children from the Roma community and children with developmental disabilities.

In addition to upgrading infrastructure, the project also includes the introduction of personalised physical education health records, with support from a team of sports doctors and physical education professionals who will tailor activity programmes to the specific needs of each child.

The total value of the project is 864,488 Euros, with 500,000 Euros provided by the European Union and 364,488 Euros co-financed by the City of Šabac. Project partners include the Šabac Sports Association, the Sports Association of Persons with Disabilities, and the Cultural-Artistic Society "Abrašević".

And it is no coincidence that this gym is being built in Šabac. The city is home to the first Baskin team in Serbia, open to everyone, regardless of gender, age, physical capabilities and level of technical basketball skills. The name "Baskin" was created by combining the words "basket" and "inclusion" and represents a sport that unites people of different degrees and types of disabilities, and can be played by anyone according to the rules that give everyone an equal chance.

"Baskin is a sport that, during its development in Šabac, managed to break down many prejudices about children with developmental difficulties. At the very beginning of the training process, I, who am a disabled person myself, also had some prejudices. I thought that these children did not feel the importance of some success, result, victory, since, for example, during training, whether they score a point or miss, you could not see joy or anger on their faces," says Slavoljub Avdić, Secretary of the Association for Sports of Persons with Disabilities in Šabac.

Slavoljub explains that as time passed, their approach also changed, to the extent that they were aware of the importance of results at tournaments, cheered and encouraged each other and when it was most necessary, they did their best to play well, score a point, and achieve a great result.

"They showed everyone how ready they are to invest their effort, work and will and to raise our awareness of them," says Slavoljub proudly.

"In our sport, everyone is equal and everyone is involved. We bring together young people with disabilities for whom Baskin is more than a sport, because it enables socializing, recreation and socialization. We break down barriers and build relationships between people, and I can freely say that Baskin has created a family in Šabac," says Živan Milošević, Baskin coach and player.

As he explained, this unique sport was created in Italy in 2001 by the father of a disabled girl to help his daughter to be involved in social activities. Baskin came to life in Šabac in 2019 thanks to the Sports Association of Šabac and the Association for Sports of Persons with Disabilities of the city of Šabac, with the support of the "Caritas" and "Let's be equal" associations, the "Stana Milanović" School of Economics and the City of Šabac. Since then, the number of members has been growing, while sports results are also increasing. "We are proud of more than 30 active members, but also of the results achieved at international competitions, among which is the first place at the International Baskin Tournament in Italy, showing that where there is a will, there are victories." Baskin Šabac took on an important role to promote this inclusive sport throughout the country and so far they have presented it in Belgrade, Niš, Krupanj…

"Šabac is the first city in Serbia where baskin is trained and the city will continue to improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens with disabilities; create an environment where everyone has the same rights and opportunities and enters the sports and life fields with equal chances and according to the same rules. Just like in Baskin," said Ana Marinković, head of the Project Management Department of the City of Šabac.

With this project, Šabac reaffirms its commitment to the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities. The new gym will be accessible to everyone—children from the Roma community, cultural-artistic societies, and as the home of Baskin in Serbia, it will continue to offer equal access to sport and physical activity for all its citizens.

This initiative is part of the Integrated Territorial Investments supported through the EU PRO Plus Programme. Within this initiative, the European Union supports 18 integrated projects in 11 territories and 30 local self-governments, with a total value of €12.8 million — including €9.6 million in EU funding. These projects span areas like education, economy, environment, energy transition, tourism, social inclusion, and waste management, while fostering cooperation among cities, smaller municipalities, the civil sector, and local communities. Currently in the implementation phase, these projects represent a foundation for sustainable growth and improved prospects for local communities in Serbia.