FOOTBALL TALENT MARIJA ŠEKARIĆ STEADILY BUILDING PATH TO GREAT CAREER

PALE, JANUARY 21 /SRNA/ – The dream of a young football player from Pale to one day play for European clubs appears to be well within reach. Talent, perseverance, and results clearly show that Marija Šekarić is steadily building her path toward a major sports career.

Prepared by: Maja BRČKALO Sixteen-year-old Marija Šekarić from Pale, who has been wearing the jersey of the women's national football team of BiH for the past two years, says that hard work, discipline, and belief in oneself are the strongest allies on the road to success. While many of her peers are only beginning to dream big, Marija is turning those dreams into reality step by step, every day. STEP BY STEP TOWARD MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE Šekarić told SRNA that she is a second-year student at a secondary school in Pale and a member of the BiH under-17 national team, and that she also plays for SFK 2000 Sarajevo in the cadet category, a club that has for years been regarded as the leading women's football collective in BiH. "I have been with the national team for two years now. Everything starts at the club level, because without the club I wouldn't be in the national team either. I owe my progress so far to the coaches who recognized my talent and guided me along the right path - Branislav Račić and Alisa Spahić," Šekarić emhasizes. As a member of the BiH national team, she has had the opportunity to play international matches in Romania, Bulgaria, and Kazakhstan. Her strong performances were also reflected in her results during the previous period, when she topped the scorers' list. She explained that she plays as a winger, and occasionally as a striker, a position she has played from the very beginning. SHE JOINED FOOTBALL WITHOUT HER PARENTS' KNOWLEDGE The daily routine of this young footballer is far from easy, as she travels from Pale to Sarajevo every day for training. "I try to balance school, travel, and training. Sometimes school suffers because of football, sometimes it's the other way around, but I always try to keep things in balance," Šekarić said, adding that she fell in love with football as a child, even though she initially faced prejudice. According to her, her parents did not support her wish at first, saying football was a male sport. She initially tried judo, where she gained strength and discipline, but her love for football ultimately proved stronger. Šekarić reminded that in the seventh grade she decided to take up football and, without her parents' permission, went to training sessions at Football Club Olimp, where coach Branislav Račić recognized her talent. "After two years of playing with boys, Račić recommended me to coach Alisa Spahić in Sarajevo. That's where I continued training and developing in women's football," Šekarić states. FIRST TO REACH THE HOLY CROSS She has also demonstrated her courage and sporting spirit beyond the football pitch. At this year's Epiphany swimming event for the Holy Cross in the Prača River, in the Pale neighborhood of Nikolići, she was the first to reach the cross. "Entering the cold water represents honor, faith and courage. The feeling is incredible," Šekarić stresses.