Last weekend, a memorial futsal tournament was held in cooperation with the BH UK Network and the BH Association Hertfordshire in memory of the untimely deaths of young football players Edvin Dino Hodžić from Linz (Austria) and Irhad Rizva Duraković from London (Great Britain).
Irhad Rizvo Duraković (1987-2011) was born in Sarajevo. During the war, he came to London with his mother. This young Sarajevo native died in London in 2011 from a rare disease – the human form of mad cow disease, and he is remembered as the only Bosnian to die from this vicious disease that swept across England about 10 years ago. Irhad is also remembered as a hard-working volunteer and activist for Bosnian-Herzegovinian associations in London, and a talented football player who wore the jerseys of our citizens’ national team from England and Wales on several occasions.
Edvin Dino Hodžić comes from a sports family. Edvin’s father Nermin participated in all sixteen of the BiH Diaspora Futsal World Championships held. He passed on this love of sport to his sons Edin and Edvin. The Hodžić family, along with the Durić family from Belgium, probably produced the best football players to compete in the Diaspora Futsal World Championships. At the World Cup held in May 2018, the Austrian national team won the championship title. The cup was lifted by captain and best player Edvin Hodžić. Two months later (July 10, 2018) we were shocked by the news that Edvin had passed away after training.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tournament has not been held for two years. 9 teams from Great Britain (Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Hertfordshire, London…) participated.
Spectators were able to enjoy quality football and a wonderful atmosphere. We were pleasantly surprised by the participation of a large number of young players, who are the future of this event.
The purpose of the tournament is also an opportunity to select a selection of Bosnians and Herzegovinians from England who will participate in the BiH Diaspora Futsal World Championship, which will be organized by SSD BIH and held in Izmir, Turkey, from May 20-22 this year.
The trophies were presented. The best football was shown by the “Izmir” team, composed of players from all over the UK, and they will also represent the backbone of the Great Britain team at the BiH Diaspora Championship. The “A Team” team won second place, while the “Sana” team won third place.
We would like to thank the Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UK, H.E. Vanja Filipović, who made this sporting event special with his presence. We wish our winning team good luck and good results in Izmir.
After the competition part, the socializing continued at a nearby club, with music and songs by our well-known Sefer Haskić.
We would like to thank the BH Association Hertfordshire for the warm welcome and excellent organization.
BH UK Network
