BC Partizan Academy in Beijing

The BC Partizan academy was officially opened in Beijing on Saturday, November 28. With the

presence of numerous famous names from Chinese basketball, the staff of the Embassy of the

Republic of Serbia in China, and basketball fans of all nationalities, the capital of China has

become a new home of black and white colors.

Chinese basketball, and sports in general, have been in transition for many years. In the most

populous country in the world, they are doing everything to become competitive globally,

especially in team sports, and one of the things they have taken to keep up with the rest of the

planet is the internationalization of staff.

China's opening to the world has brought the globalization of sports in this country, so the

Chinese have become aware that they have to learn from those better than themselves. The

past decade has brought an unrealistic expansion of foreign coaches in China and training

academies run by foreign experts, especially in the most popular sports - basketball and

football.

All this is an introduction to the story of how the BC Partizan academy was created in

Beijing.

Two basketball enthusiasts, Piao Yixi and Chen Lihui, led their love for Yugoslav basketball to

Belgrade a few years ago. The presence of the Partizan game colored their hearts black and

white.

When I was little, I watched basketball all the time. My love for Serbian basketball dates back to

the time of Yugoslavia. Most of the players in that team were from Serbia, and they played

excellent team basketball. The togetherness of these players' spirit was felt, and for me, it was

the best thing in European basketball - Piao recalls.

We were in Belgrade several times. The first time I watched Partizan in Pionir, I fell in love with

that club right away. I am impressed with the way the fans support the club. I like every song.

After that experience, we started to follow the news about Partizan, to learn about the history of

the club, and to try to connect with the people inside it - adds Chen.

The idea of creating a basketball academy in Beijing, named after the famous Belgrade club,

arose after their last stay in the Serbian capital. Touched by the emotional connection between

the club and the fans and the passion with which the Gravediggers cheers their club, Piao and

Chen decided to establish a black and white house in the Far East. The legendary Partizan fan -

Steva the Bone - is "deserved" for everything.

When we last stayed in Belgrade, our host was Mladjan (Mladjan Silobad - general manager of

BC Partizan.) In front of the hall, we noticed an elderly gentleman, with whom Mladjan shook

hands and gave him three tickets for the match. We asked him why he did it, to which he replied

that it was a legendary Partizan fan, called "The Bone," who has been with the club for decades

and that his place in the stands is always, even when there are no funds to pay for the ticket.

This really touched us, and we realized that Partizan is a club and a kind of family full of

passion, which always takes care of its members. Then we decided to do something for the club

- they say.

The idea of the whole project

The academy was founded primarily to help the younger categories of the club. Piao and Cen

are familiar with the "trademark" of Partizan, which is the "production" of young basketball

players, and they believe that they can help the club from Humska return to the old paths of

glory. So far, they have already provided logistical assistance - the younger categories of

Partizan received over 250 jerseys, and the club's employees received over 100 polo shirts.

Our next step is to work with the Beijing Basketball Association to become strategic partners. In

this way, the Partizan brand would become recognizable in China, and our development would

be significantly accelerated. Our main idea is for Partizan to establish its base in China, be our

guest, and for Chinese companies to be black and white sponsors in the future and help the

club, especially the younger categories - they hope.

The first students of the Academy are expected soon. Piao and Cen will do everything to ensure

that the conditions and quality of training are at the highest level. Following that, consultations

were organized with coaches of younger categories of Partizan, who will actively participate in

the work of the Academy, through webinars and other online communication channels, due to

the epidemic.

Some of the next items are the departure of Chinese children to the BC Partizan camp, which

would be screened by one of the Chinese televisions, the exchange of young players, and the

strengthening of cooperation at all levels.

The bridge between Serbia and China

In addition to all of the above, this Chinese duo believes that it can be a factor in the

cooperation between the two friendly nations. According to them, the Partizan Academy's

establishment in China brings an inexhaustible source of opportunities for the development of

relations between China and Serbia, especially in the basketball field.

This project will also help, especially the young Chinese generations, to develop as players and

personalities, enrich their spirit, and expand their horizons.

I finally realized my dream, I work for a basketball club, and I have the opportunity to help build

relations between China and Serbia. I like it, and I will do everything I can to make this story

work - Piao concluded.

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