The phone is ringing... I pick up the phone.A voice on the phone is asking: "Hello?... Sanja?"
I reply, "Yes?"
The voice: "Would you like to play in Azerbaijan...?"
(At this moment I am thinking... Azerbaijan?! No, no way! I remember when I was there in 2002 for the Final Four of the Top Teams Cup. It's very far away and I don't even know if the quality of volleyball is good in Azerbaijan.)
As, I am trying to imagine myself going to Azerbaijan in my head, the memories of 2002 are turning the idea down.
The voice said: "Sanja?" and I remembered that I was still on the phone and I said: "Oh... I am sorry, but I cannot accept your offer. Thank you very much."
Back in 2002 when we traveled to Baku, we qualified for the final tournament of the Top Teams Cup. It was a big surprise to everyone. We were a young team and we were very anxious to show our best game, and we did! We made it to final against the home team and I remember the final match...
Just walking to the sports hall was spectacular. There were lots of people waiting in front of the arena, and also inside. You could not squeeze a needle through the crowd! The people were dressed in black and gray (mostly men) but they all cheered together, and it was so powerful! We were very impressed with that atmosphere! Unfortunately, we lost the final game 0:3, but the cheering and the energy of the fans really left a great impression on us. With this in mind, I began to think that maybe Azerbaijan is worth a shot? Hmm...
Two days later, the phone rang again...
"Sanja, would you like to come? Because if you don't like it, you can always go back home."
(It sounded fair to me) "Hmmm... OK!" I said, "I will give it a try!"
Of course my family supported me in my decision. They always have and always will. They are amazing! Without their unconditional love and support, I would not be the person who I am today. While my family accepted my decision, it was very interesting to see how other people reacted. I heard reactions like, "Oh no! Why are you going so far away?", "Couldn't you have chosen something closer?", "Are you going there by yourself?", and the funniest of all, "ISN'T THERE A WAR?!?!" (referring to the war in Afghanistan) :))
I remember getting ready, and wondering who and what was waiting there for me. The people I talked with over the phone were kind and friendly. We spoke English, although, in Azerbaijan they speak Russian and Azerbaijani (the latter is similar to the Turkish language). I did not study the Russian language in school, so I was thinking that I could use Turkish, which I learned while playing two years in Antep, Turkey. I figured, if anything, I would be able to ask some basic questions. You know... "How's your day?", "What time is it?", etc. Simple everyday things. ;)
But enough of joking. I am on my trip from Gacko to Belgrade to Istanbul and then to Baku.
I needed an entire day to get there, as if I was flying all the way from Australia, or somewhere far away, where one would expect such a long journey :)
After I do not know how many hours, I have finally arrived! The man I spoke with on the phone was waiting for me (now I know that his name is Shahlar :)) and I went to a hotel to get some sleep and wait for my first training.
When I first met my new team, I greeted the coach and I realized that I could understand Russian perfectly! Who knew! (it is similar to Serbian.)
I started to stretch and a girl came to me (Kyama) to say "Hi". She smiled to me, and I smiled back and I saw that we both had shiny braces on our teeth! :) Haha!
Very soon I adjusted to the team and a month after I had arrived, Bojana Doganjic joined us and that is when our "European adventure", called the Challenge Cup, began. We managed to advance to the quarterfinal stage, but to our dismay, we were kicked out of the tournament because one of our two middle blockers got injured, and we did not have enough players to play. But we did not embarrass ourselves, which was very important.
Another interesting fact is that there was no national league. There were four teams and each played in the European cups, so there was no need for a domestic league.
But, thank God, the problem was soon solved and within a month all teams were playing in the national tournament. The final result? We, Rabita, are the Champions! :)
One year later, many people heard about us, and many more foreign players began to come here. Players from Serbia, Bulgaria, United States, Brazil, Thailand etc. A great bunch of top players. The national league has risen to a higher level and the games have become more interesting. More and more people came to watch us play. In addition to the expanding league, we also now had a new challenge in front of us: the CEV Cup!
We made it to the Final Four of the CEV Cup, which, thanks to our club directors, was organized in Baku. A big event for volleyball and for the city of Baku as well. Another way to showcase the high level volleyball to the people of Baku, who come to watch and enjoy the games. The fans lived up to our expectations and they did not let us down. Do you remember that story about supporters from 2002? :) Now I am happy that they are my supporters, and I also know how the opponent team feels when they play on our court! With our fans it is impossible to play bad! Big thanks to them!
As for me, this is my third year here. The league continues to get stronger. It is much more competitive than before and all of the clubs became even stronger. Any team can win on any given day. Every team is good. As for our team, we are staying strong :) Currently, we are the first in the league, and, with God's help, we will be first at the end of the season. It is easier to win the title than to defend it. I believe in our team, our staff, and people at the club. We can do it! :)
But the most prestigious competition, for sure, is the Champions League. We finished first in the pool of four teams in the first round. Now, we are playing against Prostejov, a team from the Czech Republic. We will do our best to show what we can do! "Inshallah," as they say here ;)
I first came in November 2008. It is now February 2011 and I am still here, and I am happy!
It has been a challenge and I enjoy it!
Sanja Starovic
