A sign in Gračanica Klan Kosova was shut down Friday afternoon. Many had assumed with the delay it would never happen and some still refuse to believe that it will. Right now Klan has one option left which is to go to court. Meanwhile, people are nervous.
I was speaking to a head teacher at a high school in Kosovo about recruiting their female students to play rugby for our Revolution Rugby project. He said it’s a great idea and then he asked me, “Now what will you do for the boys?” “Nothing,” I said. Women’s rugby in Kosovo - always living on a slightly precarious edge - had a bumpy return post-pandemic. Only two women were playing rugby last May in the club I started, Balkan Lynx, the first women’s club in Kosovo, and they were playing with teenage and pre-teen boys.
I was speaking to a head teacher at a high school in Kosovo about recruiting their female students to play rugby for our Revolution Rugby project. He said it’s a great idea and then he asked me, “Now what will you do for the boys?” “Nothing,” I said. Women’s rugby in Kosovo - always living on a slightly precarious edge - had a bumpy return post-pandemic. Only two women were playing rugby last May in the club I started, Balkan Lynx, the first women’s club in Kosovo, and they were playing with teenage and pre-teen boys.
A Kick Up The Balkans is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The most emblematic sign of how misaligned perceptions are on both sides is the the daily overview posts from Kossev and BIRN. Kossev calls today Day 12 of the crisis and BIRN Day 11.
On the Tuesday after the violent Monday evening, the crowd looked toward the municipality building which is blocked by steel barriers. Behind those stood a line of – in full body armor with shields and helmets – Italian soldiers, some in black with white helmets carrying shields, some in camouflage. Some stood on the steps […]
This week Erden Atiq was sworn in as mayor of Mitrovica north, the first Albanian to hold the position. His first act was to raise the Kosovo flag over the municipal building. At roughly the same time the Quint (US, UK, Italy, France and Germany countries taking a leading role in Kosovo’s affairs) offered up a statement asking the new mayors in the north not do anything to
Prishtina Jets after practice. I’m late writing recently just because I’ve been so busy with women’s rugby here in Kosovo. We’ve fully launched two teams: Mitrovica Dragons and Prishtina Jets and are launching a third: Gračanica Stormers. We are short money (usual) but we have enthusiastic players. And that’s the main thing. This project is called Revolution Rugby and it’s only for women from all communities.
