By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dubai is partnering with Bosna BH Telecom to host upcoming home games at Sarajevo’s Zetra Arena, with the move supporting the local community as well.
The collaboration announced on Tuesday features charitable initiatives, with all ticket proceeds from EuroLeague and AdmiralBet ABA League games benefiting local causes while providing a home for Dubai during a period of regional instability.
Per the press release: “Dubai Basketball has announced a collaboration with KK Bosna that will see the club host its upcoming home games at Zetra Arena, with all ticket proceeds from the games donated to charitable causes.
The initiative brings together two basketball communities, one rooted in the rich basketball culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the other building a new foundation for the sport in the Middle East. Beyond the games themselves, the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting basketball and using the moment to give back to the local community.
As part of the collaboration, Zetra Arena in Sarajevo will temporarily host Dubai Basketball’s upcoming home games while the situation in the Middle East stabilizes. The partnership also reflects the strong connections between the club and the region, with several Dubai Basketball players representing the Bosnian national team, including Dzanan Musa, and Kenan Kamenjaš.
“This is first and foremost a sports story,” said Dejan Kamenjašević, Co-CEO of Dubai Basketball. “We are grateful to Sarajevo, to Bosna, to the city and to everyone at Zetra for welcoming us. For some of us this is also very personal, coming back to a place where we were born and where our basketball journeys began.”
Kamenjašević explained that Sarajevo was chosen not only for its facilities but also for its deep sporting culture saying, “Sarajevo was a natural choice for us because of its sporting tradition, infrastructure and location, and because many members of our organization share roots in this region. We are entering the most important part of the season and we invite fans to join us for a great EuroLeague game against the Spanish Cup champions, Baskonia.”
He also confirmed that the games will carry a strong charitable purpose, “We want this to be a positive story for the community as well. All proceeds from ticket sales will go toward charity.”
Welcoming the collaboration, Dubravko Barbarić, President of KK Bosna, said the club was proud to host Dubai Basketball in the Bosnian capital, “We hope that Dubai Basketball will soon be able to return to playing in Dubai, but in the meantime we are very happy to welcome them to Sarajevo,” Barbarić said. “On the court we may be rivals, but off the court we are friends. Sarajevo is an Olympic city and everyone is welcome here.”
Dubai Basketball Head Coach Jurica Golemac added that the club was confident in the choice of venue. “Bosna and Zetra already showed very good organization when hosting Hapoel, so we had no doubts about choosing this arena,” he said. “We invite everyone to come and support the team. We believe we will feel that support here in Sarajevo.”
The games will be played at Zetra Arena, one of the city’s most iconic venues and a legacy site from the 1984 Winter Olympics.
Admir Bukva, Director of Zetra Arena, confirmed that the venue is fully prepared to host the upcoming fixtures. “Zetra Arena is ready to host EuroLeague-level basketball,” Bukva said. “This is a great promotion for the city of Sarajevo and we expect the arena to be full of fans. Zetra is an Olympic venue and we are proud to continue that sporting tradition by welcoming international basketball here.”
Dubai Basketball player Dzanan Musa also welcomed the opportunity to play in Sarajevo. “I want to thank Zetra Arena, KK Bosna, the media and the city of Sarajevo for the warm welcome,” Musa said. “It’s exciting for us to be here. Sarajevo feels like our second home and we hope to see Zetra Arena full of fans.”
Fellow Bosnian international Kenan Kamenjaš echoed the sentiment. “Thank you to everyone for the welcome,” he said. “I’m very excited to be here.”
Through this collaboration, Dubai Basketball and KK Bosna aim to demonstrate how sport can unite communities, celebrate the culture of sports while creating positive impact beyond the court.”