Passport Problems: How Bureaucracy Benched Sanja Akšam and Weakened Montenegro’s Junior Basketball Team at the European Championship!
Imagine this: a young basketball star from Montenegro, Sanja Akšam, ready to shine at the European Championship in Spain, and then – BAM! – her passport gets stuck at the U.S. embassy, and she can’t travel. Yes, you read that right. Due to administrative issues, one of the best players on Montenegro’s junior team is left behind while the team has to fight without her.
Who is Sanja Akšam and why does her absence matter so much?
Sanja, a 16-year-old player from Herceg Novi who plays for Red Star Belgrade, is not just any player. Last year, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Division B European Championship and helped Montenegro win a silver medal and promotion to the elite division. Although she missed the senior team call-up due to a meniscus injury, coach Jelena Škerović was seriously counting on her.
Bureaucracy vs. Sports: How a Passport Can Crush Dreams
Right before the team’s departure to the championship held from July 5 to 13 on the Spanish island of La Palma, coach Petar Stojanović faced a shocking problem – Sanja’s passport was stuck at the U.S. embassy. No passport means no travel, no game. And this happened just as Sanja had joined the team’s preparations in Cetinje. The decision that she won’t participate is not a sports decision but a bureaucratic one.
What does this mean for Montenegro?
Montenegro’s junior women will play in a group with the reigning champions France, Serbia, Israel, and teams that finished third and fourth last year. They open the tournament against Serbia. Without Sanja Akšam, the team is significantly weakened, and their chances for a good result drop. Is bureaucracy more important than sporting talent and national pride?
Is this a coincidence or a systemic problem?
This is not the first time Sanja missed the junior team – she also didn’t play last year, while in the previous two seasons she was part of the cadet team. But this time, the reason is not injury or form but something that sounds like a bad joke – a passport stuck in an embassy. Could it be that young athletes in Montenegro lose opportunities due to administrative failures?
Conclusion: Who’s to Blame for This Disaster?
While the junior team prepares to battle Europe’s best, one of their brightest stars stays home because of something off the court – paperwork. Is this a sign that the system needs to change? Should athletes be fighting bureaucracy instead of opponents?
If this sounds absurd to you, you’re not alone. Share your thoughts, tell similar stories, or just drop a sarcastic comment – stories like this shouldn’t go unnoticed!
Political Compass:
- Main article (ID: 160575) – X: 4, Y: 6 (slightly left, slightly libertarian)
Unrelated articles:
- ID: 160617 (story about footballer Diogo Jota, unrelated to basketball and Sanja Akšam)
Thought sports were just games? Sometimes it’s a fight with passports and paperwork. And Sanja? She faces new challenges, but this time without the European Championship. Who’s next? Or is it time for the system to wake up?
Jump into the conversation if you want – these stories deserve some noise!
