This year’s traditional North American soccer clubs competition, Srbijada, will take place the coming weekend in Akron, Ohio. Srbijada is the largest gathering of North American Serbs, where, in addition to hundreds of players, thousands of Serbs from different cities, states and provinces of America and Canada gather to socialize and enjoy the competition and the local Serbian atmosphere of food, music and culture. Since 1993, this competition brings together the best American and Canadian teams to compete for the prestigious titles of the best on the North American continent in various categories. Srbijada aims to promote sports and healthy lifestyles among Serbs, to connect and unite Serb communities, to promote the Serbian name in North America, and to support financially the local community.

The tournament is organized every year on the first weekend in September, and in the last 29 years, it was not held only in 2020 due to the global pandemic. The number of participants in different categories varies from year to year, and many of the past Serbijadas saw a participation of over 50 teams. This year, 37 teams will participate in six categories: two categories for children under 10 and 12 years old, the main open category, and categories over 30, 40 and 50 years old.

Akron has already hosted Srbijada once, in 2013, and this industrious Serbian community of St. Archangel Michael Church and its soccer club Gavrilo Princip demonstrated a high level of quality organization on that occasion. Many consider that Srbijada to be the best organized so far. A large team of volunteers worked hard also this year on welcoming and hosting thousands of Serbs from other cities, in order to prove themselves once again as great organizers and hosts. In addition to a variety of local specialties prepared by the hosts, guests will also enjoy a variety of local music and other cultural content on all three days of Srbijada.

Our united community, originating from various Serbian countries, headed by the church committee, the circle of Serbian sisters, the Serbian school and the folk dance group, gave a great contribution to make sure everything was ready and that our guests felt at home, and in cooperation with the local American municipalities, in addition to our fields, we provided excellent fields for the competition to take place in the best possible conditions – says the Akron Srbijada chief coordinator, Radivoje Kulina.

Therefore, this will be another extraordinary opportunity for the North American Serbs to gather and socialize for a few days and strengthen mutual ties through networking, while spreading at the same time the good Serbian name and all the good that the Serbs in North America represent. In doing so, they contribute both to the wealth of diversity in America and Canada, and to the preservation of Serbian identity and culture in America and the world.

More information about the 2022 Srbijada and its participants is available at www.srbijada.org, and the competition itself can be followed on the TeamSnap Tournaments application, under 2022 Srbijada – Akron.

Source: RASEJANJE.INFO

Photo: Archive of P. Karasović