INSIDE TEQBALL- STORIES FROM THE TEQBALL WORLD- 

Stanislava Marojevic is the club manager for Teqball Liman, based in Novi Sad in Serbia, which is home of 2018 doubles world champions Bogdan Marojevic and Nikola Mitro. The pair initially competed for Montenegro, before switching nationality to compete for Serbia, where they were born and grew up, in January 2020. Stanislava reveals the secrets behind Bogdan and Nikola’s winning partnership and outlines the future ambitions of the club. 

Stanislava was introduced to the sport by her brother, and now world champion, Bogdan Marojević.

“The beginning of my teqball journey was when my brother (Bogdan Marojević) and his partner (Nikola Mitro) competed in the 2018 Teqball World Championships in Reims, France. I remember it very well – it was an exciting time. Now, I am not an expert in sport management specifically, however, I have a skill set in operations and travel management. Therefore, my story began when we started to make travel plans for Reims and when I connected with the team at FITEQ. What I love most is that the FITEQ team were very professional, helping to solve any issues that we encountered. It has been a really enjoyable couple of years for me personally on the sports management side.”

For Bogdan and Nikola, the love of teqball started on social media!

“The first time the players saw teqball was online on Facebook. They liked it because it was something different than any other sport they had played previously. They experienced the curved table for the first time at an international tournament in 2018, held in Budapest at Lupa Beach. I personally experienced the curved table for the first time at the 2019 Teqball World Championships in Reims, France.  I think the design of the teqball table is fabulous. It’s very cool. The sport itself is very catchy – I think the speed of the sport makes it very exciting.”

Stanislava has been key to ensuring her brother and Nikola have a smooth operation of the court, helping them focus and play to their best ability on it.

“My biggest fear was making sure that both Bogdan and Nikola were comfortable and happy when we travelled to Reims, France. With Bogdan being my brother and Nikola being a good friend, I had the opportunity and ability to calm them down when the adrenaline was pumping during their first ever World Championships in Reims. Little things like making sure they have water at the right time – these small things can make such a big difference on their performance!”

Whilst off-court preparation is key, so too is the chemistry Bogdan and Nikola have on the court, as Stanislava explains:

“I think what gives Bogdan and Nikola an advantage is their relationship – they know each other so well that they are in sync at all times during a match. If one of them makes a mistake, they are both extremely quick to adapt and cover for each other. With regards to winning their gold medal in doubles at 2018 Teqball World Championships, although the final day was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone competing, the boys had nothing to lose. They were new to the sport and were just giving absolutely everything to do their best.”

However, the duo are not confined to their successful doubles partnership, and both are targeting success in singles and mixed doubles.

“For both of them, the singles game is very important. I believe that they have both improved a lot since the 2019 Teqball World Championships. They are improving their serves, attack and defense. I think all the elements of their game are improving. However, the most important improvement will be in doubles. Their synchronisation is second to none and is therefore a huge advantage during a doubles match. Mixed doubles is also very important for them both. They will continue to practice mixed doubles because it brings a different dynamic to their game – practicing with someone that you don’t know as well brings other benefits to your game.”                                                                               

Following the success of Bogdan and Nikola, Stanislava set up the club Teqball Liman to bring the sport to more people in the country.

“After the 2018 Teqball World Championships, we felt the need to establish a teqball club sooner rather than later. This was important to attract new teqers and promote the sport. So, Teqball Liman was eventually established in February 2019. Our first major event was the 2019 Teqball Challenger Cup in Novi Sad, Serbia. We were very proud to be surrounded by so many fans from our own country and internationally. It was also incredible to see so many young girls attend and try the sport for the first time. The tournament was incredibly well organised and we were delighted that Teqball Liman received so much publicity!

Teqball Liman has been very active on social media and recently launched its own website, helping increase the number of players at the club.

“The website just launched a couple of days ago! Our aim is for it to be user-friendly to attract new teqers to Teqball Liman. We currently have 16 players at Teqball Liman. However, we have a number of steps to go in terms of the development of the club. For example, officially registering more players and to ensure that existing players have more opportunities to train. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for players to practice. When things return to normal, we want to create a centralised schedule and offer more opportunities for teqers to practice. Most importantly, is to develop new players across all different age groups.”

Reflecting on how teqball has changed her life, and the life of players in Serbia, Stanislava notes:

“For Bogdan and Nikola, teqball is a huge opportunity for them in life. They love what they do and that’s incredibly important. For me personally, it has opened up a new perspective and a new opportunity. It is a completely new approach to management. For the last two years, I have had the pleasure learn so much and witness the rapid growth of the sport first hand. Teqball has fantastic ambitions and it is brilliant to be a part of its growth.”