
The gods have granted the wish, but the High Priest is yet to oblige. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) doesn’t know what to do except wait for the latter — the Home Ministry — to give its blessing.
The file relating to the appointment of a Serbian coach which reached the ministry more than a month ago is still pending.
If the clearance doesn’t come in time (within the next fortnight), the BFI is in danger of losing an experienced coach in Aleksander Bucan, who has been the head coach of the national cadet team of the erstwhile Serbia and Montenegro.
The BFI began its search some time ago and finally roped in Bucan as the national coach after completing the formalities, including getting the Sports Ministry’s nod. The 34-year-old Serbian, if okayed by the Home Ministry, will be on probation for six months on a remuneration of $ 2,500 plus the usual perks.
If all concerned are satisfied with his method of coaching in the next six months, he would be contracted for three years, said secretary-general of the BFI, Harish Sharma. But the problem is that the file hasn’t moved beyond the precincts of the Home Ministry. “All our programmes, particularly the coaching of our women’s team for the Asian Championships in Korea has been upset. I really don’t know what to do except pursue the case with the Home Ministry,” he said.
According to Sharma, BFI had been in touch with FIBA ever since its Yugoslavian coach Zoran Lucic’s contract ended with the national body two years ago.
FIBA recommended Bucan, who began his coaching stint way back in 1993 with BC Partizan, the Yugoslavian club he played for besides turning out for BC Radivoj Korac and BC Zemun. He coached BC Partizan for nine seasons and helped it win medals in all categories.
The Belgrade-born coach has an impressive CV which includes working as a member of the expert team for the senior selection committee with coaches like Miroslav Nikolie, Kime Bogojevic, nenad Trajkovic and Darko Ruso, all considered best in business in Yugoslavia.
Incidentally, the team under Bucan made it to the final four of Euro League in 1998 in Barcelona when he was the assistant head coach. Bucan had served as the head coach of the cadet national teal of Yugoslavia which won the championship in 2001, to name a few.