Jan Klug is a German from Hamburg, but not a typical German – he became a Serb and received the Orthodox faith, all because of his love for basketball and his wife who is from Serbia.
Klug traveled to Riga with friends from Novi Sad to cheer on the Serbian national team at EuroBasket for the second time. He shared his story with Telegraf.rs in fluent Serbian.
-Well, it’s a long story. What can I say. My wife is from Serbia, so I’m here with friends from Novi Sad. Second time, the first time was in Prague, the second time in Riga. Over time, I fell in love with Serbia, I became interested, and so this whole story developed.
Believe it or not, Vlade Divac played a big role in Jan’s love for our country to the point that he eventually learned the language.
-Well, I started playing basketball by myself in Hamburg in 1991. In Germany, basketball was almost nonexistent back then. I was always interested in the NBA then, I cheered for the Bulls, but somehow Vlade Divac was a likable character to me. The only white guy on the Lakers at the time, and when it all started, the breakup of Yugoslavia, I looked behind the scenes, at what perhaps they didn’t show everything in the West. I had no idea; that’s how I saw who Serbs are and what Serbs are through Divac, and that’s how I fell in love with Serbia.
As he says, he started learning Serbian at the beginning of this century, and he uses cases correctly.
-Well, I started learning a little bit in 2000 out of interest, without any goals. Over time, I learned the most with friends; that’s how I met my wife Mima. Over the years, it all got better and better. I learned everything on my own; I never went to a language course. I learned from a book, from television, and most of all with friends.
Jan is actually a true polyglot, as he speaks three other languages besides Serbian and German.
-Well, I also speak English, French, and a little Spanish.
It is interesting that in Germany, Jan is part of a club called “Nikola Tesla,” where he has been playing basketball with the Serbian community for almost 10 years.
-It’s a Serbian team in Hamburg called “Nikola Tesla.” We have soccer, basketball, handball, and even cycling. I, of course, play for the basketball players, for the team older than 35, but also for the second team. Our first team is in the regional league; they are already playing at a high level. I started playing in 2016; I had a longer break. At that time, they asked me if I wanted to revive that club, because it was successful in the late nineties. We started again, and since then I have been on that team. It’s great, we’re progressing, we have big goals for the whole club. The friends from Hamburg are also in Riga, that’s how we connect everywhere in the world.
He talked about whether Serbia can go all the way.
-In the group stage, I expect clear victories for Serbia first, for Serbia to advance, I hope if possible, I haven’t followed the groups, for the final to be Serbia – Germany, so that Serbia can get revenge for the World Championship and win the European one, to be in first place.
What will happen if the Serbia – Germany final happens, who to cheer for?
-Well, I have a little joke with my wife that she has to cheer for Germany, and I for Serbia. As I said, when I started playing basketball, it wasn’t a sport that was followed too much in Germany then, in 1993, when Pešić was the head coach of Germany, when they won EuroBasket for the first time. Something changed then, but it was never a favorite sport in Germany. Since Yugoslavia and Indianapolis, I have been cheering for Serbia, and that’s how it has remained, I won’t change – in basketball, only for Serbia.
Unfortunately, he will not be there for the whole tournament, but he will cheer on Serbia during the group stage of the competition at every match.
-I’m only staying for the group stage, unfortunately, I can’t stay longer due to work. Afterwards, I will follow what is happening, and I hope they will go all the way, to the final, to the gold, to victory – Jan Klug concluded for Telegraf.
MORE TOPICS:
COLUMN, KOVAČEVIĆ: Kari and 12 Avengers in pursuit of the first Serbian gold since Indianapolis!
Source: Telegraf.rs, Photo: Printscreen video Telegraf