Goran Stamenkovic: "People on volleyball rejoice and suffer - this is life"

There is no need to tell in the volleyball world, who is Goran Stamenkovich. For the rest, let's say, that this is a cult fan of Kemerovo "Kuzbass", An example of a bright personality and devotion to your team. Three years ago he came to Surgut for the World Russian Billiards Championship and interview with him created a certain sensation. And here we are again in Surgut, the World Russian Billiards Championship, again it takes place at the Premier Arena volleyball and again Goran is visiting the Gazprom-Yugra volleyball club and Rafael Khabibullin, whom he calls “Tatar friend and brother”.

“We met Rafael Talgatovich in 2010. We're losing 11:14 in the fifth game, I'm running around the stands in a skirt, and your photographer followed me throughout the match. I then asked God, let us win. Then they called me the shaman, and Kuzbass won with a score 16:14. Raf didn’t love me then...

16:14 took off the donut and was nicknamed the shaman

Previously, everyone came to the World Championships in Russian billiards, and Poland, and USA, and Germany. Everything was great, together. the, what's happening now, very sad. The West is trying to do the same to Russia, what he once did to Yugoslavia. Very sorry, my soul still hurts, that the Volleyball World Championship was taken away from Russia, this would be the best championship in history...

The World Championships were held in Novosibirsk (in Russian billiards - approx.. order.), not even close, as in Surgut. This is on a cosmic level.. Thanks to Vakhovsky and Khabibullinu. And the food is world class, there's nothing to compare it to. One note: Raf, make a hood, inflow. I'm a builder and I see, that you don't have it, it's stuffy in the hall. But the place is here, of course, prayed for, volleyball – who hasn’t played here?! All the volleyball players say, that the site in Surgut is very convenient for players. I repeat, that after the Kemerovo Arena, the Surgut Arena is my favorite!..

Photo: © AU “YugraMegaSport”. Source

I am the strongest Serb in Russian billiards. As always, I'm high, I show my level. The problem is, that any sport requires hard training. I don't have it, no time. Well, screw me, of course, sections. When you are received so hospitably, how can you win??…

The coolest volleyball player in the history of Kuzbass is Misha Shcherbakov. If you make up a symbolic team, then these are all those, who won the championship in 2019. Kobzar, Poletaev, The forest, Karpukhov... And Sammelvuo is a traitor, betrayed the Kuzbass people. It's rude to insult someone, but he ran for a million euros to St. Petersburg. The Lord God punishes those, who wants to buy everything with money, this is punishable in any sport.

The next year after the championship we already understood, that they will tear the team apart, it became offensive, but not sad. My attitude towards Kuzbass is that it doesn’t matter, what level does the team show?, i will always love her, I'll always be with her, I will always support. For me they are always champions, no matter, what place did you take, this is my favorite club...

They say, that I am the calling card of Kemerovo, but many people don't understand my behavior. I don't need it, so that they understand me and open me up right away, I'm not interested in this. That's why I'm like this. Dressed as a pirate, in a Scottish skirt and a helmet. I vary. When you first saw me, there was a certain amount of hostility: where did he come from? But now we have friendship. I think, we, Russians and Serbs, we will always be together, no one will separate us...

I play volleyball purely for myself, stopped playing in the city. Probably, because of these children, which according to 20 years old. You're running, you fall, and they don't want to play, don't try, waiting, when the ball is brought to them...

I've been in Russia for thirty-five years, I get asked this question many times - why are you in Russia?, why in Kuzbass, not in Moscow, not in St. Petersburg. You see, in Kuzbass both tasty and tasteless, I still can't make it out, that's why I'm here. Coal is dust, a person's soul is more important.

To me 24 it was a year ago, when I arrived in Russia. I was a leading installer at a medical equipment plant in the city of Syzran. Recently I was in Ulyanovsk for mini-football, so offensive, that I didn’t get to Syzran. I wanted to see that plant, those places. In Ulyanovsk, by the way, extraordinary aura, people are very hospitable, it was very nice there...

My favorite athlete of all time is Djokovic. A real man, the best soul, believer, cultural, humorous, it has everything, what a person should have. There is no anger in him...

What Russian volleyball players lack? who has not played in recent matches due to injury. Must have a great love for your sport. There are players like Mikhailov, he has a great love for volleyball. Some people don't have enough. Russia as a whole lacks sporting spirit. But now the whole world is different. I remember myself and friends, Don’t feed me bread - one and a half kilometers from the school after school they ran to the hall, they played until late, without teachers, without coaches. And now you’ll drive the young figs into the hall. I 20 sponsored an amateur team in Kemerovo for years - it was sometimes difficult to get six people into the gym! To some extent, it's the parents' fault, grandparents. They have to somehow set the child up, guide him. Many people do this, but not all...

I like Surgut, people are hospitable, there is a Tatar brother and friend. The city is very rich, Volleyball here is cool and cool - I would really like to return to those times, when Surgut fought for leadership. This is my wish.

Important, that in cities far from Moscow there is great sports life. And in Surgut, and in Kemerovo, and for youth, and for the elderly, it's worth a lot, this is the element of life, people are happy, people suffer - that's life.

Any sports club is a family, this is epic, it's not just like that".