Bojana Doganjic- Azerbaijan Superleague is getting stronger

  • Bojana Doganjic- I never could have imagined that one day I’ll be playing volleyball in Azerbaijan


    In the wake of the Rabita's successful run in the championship and the CEV Cup, the team captain and the winner of the Most Valuable Player award Bojana Doganjic sat with Azerivolley editor Ilgar and kindly answered our questions.


    Hello, Bojana. Please, tell us something about yourself. Tell us how you started your career in volleyball. Was there anyone in your family that inspired you?

    I was born on April 15 in Serbia and started playing sports at an early age. When I was 8 years old, my sister and I started playing handball, and my mom, who was among the best handball players in Yugoslavia back in the day, was obviously very happy with the choice we made. Four years later, however, my sister and I we quit handball and started playing volleyball, to the delight of our father who happened to be a former volleyball player himself. I have to say that throughout our careers we always had our parents’ support. My sister is Aleksandra Rankovic, a former Serbian international, she was a member of the Serbian national team that won bronze medals at the 2006 World Championship in Japan.


    Where did you start your professional carrier?


    I started playing volleyball in my hometown of Obrenovac. We had a team there called "TENT" and it was very well known for having one of the best volleyball schools. I played there in all age categories and went on to captain the senior team for couple of years.



    Let’s talk about the national team. How long did you play for the Serbian national team and what can you say about it?

    I first joined the national teams when I was 14 years old. Unfortunately, back then the country was under heavy economical and political sanctions and our team was denied the opportunity to compete internationally. It wasn’t until 1995 when sanctions were lifted and we finally got our chance. I was a member of the Serbian junior national team and then I represented Serbia on the senior level up until 2002, when I wore the national team jersey for the last time.

    What position do you prefer to play on?


    Usually I play back court; however, I did play as a middle blocker earlier in my career. Also I really love to play as a setter. Do you have a favorite player? Is there a player whose style you like the most? I always admired the Serbian men’s team. They were always among the world’s top teams and they were always my favorites. On my position, I really like the style of Nataša Osmokrović.

    Let’s imagine for a moment that you are now the head coach and you have to put together the Dream team. Who would you pick?


    Well, let’s see... I would probably go with Maja Ognjenović or Lo Bianco as a setter. Then I would take Ingrid Visser, Simona Gioli or Mira Golubović as middle blockers. I would also take Nataša Osmokrović and Logan Tom. As an opposite hitter, I would probably pick either Virginie De Carne or Yekaterina Gamova, and I’ll add Paola Cardullo as a libero.


    Are there any Azeri players you could have added to your team?


    Sure. I’d put Oksana Parkhomenko as a setter, Natalya Mammadova as an opposite hitter and Valieria Koretenko as a libero.


    In your career you have played for many different clubs in many different countries. Tell us a little bit more about that.


    After I left my hometown club "TENT", I first joined "Mladost" from Belgrade where I spent next three years of my career. Then I had a four-year run with another Belgrade team, "Poštar", and we did participate in the European CEV Cup. My first foreign team was "Bielsko Biała" from Poland. One year later I moved to Turkey and joined "SSK" from Ankara. From Turkey I moved to Spain where I had a 5 year stint with various clubs - Caja de Ávila, Tenerife Marichal, Benidorm and Toledo. Those were very good and interesting five years in Spain, but eventually, I guess, I needed a change, and along came Rabita and Azerbaijan.


    Let’s talk about it then. What did you know about Azerbaijan and its volleyball before you came here? Have you had any expectations?


    Before I came to Azerbaijan I only knew about Azerrail because I remember playing against them in the Champions League during my Tenerife years. I also knew about the Azerbaijani national team because I saw them play at the various international competitions. At the same time, however, I didn’t know anything about the Azerbaijani league.


    So what were your impressions about the city and the level of volleyball here?


    I like Baku very much. I always try to learn more about the city and its history. It is a city with a lot of potential and I see how much work is being done here. Honestly, I never could have imagined that one day I’ll be playing volleyball in Azerbaijan, but I guess it just proves one more time how unpredictable life is. I did thought a lot about Rabita’s offer but more than anything I liked the fact that this is a very ambitious club.


    What can you say about the overall level of the Azerbaijani league? Was there a time when you regretted your decision to join Rabita?


    I never had any doubts about my decision. The volleyball league in Azerbaijan is getting stronger by day and there is a huge improvement from previous years. Obviously it is very hard to attract world class players when there are bigger leagues around like Italian, Russian or Turkish league, but I’m sure eventually we can change that too. Also I’m confident that as the Azerbaijani league continues to improve, it will draw in more and more young Azeri girls into the game and that will only benefit Azerbaijani volleyball in the long term. And Azeri fans, they are great! It is a great pleasure to play here. During our CEV Cup games, we always had a full house with fans cheering and chanting. These are the moments that stay in your memory forever.


    I have an interesting question here - knowing how beloved you are with Azeri volleyball fans, what would you do if one day you received an invitation to join the Azerbaijani national team?



    This is really an interesting question and it requires a very serious answer. However, I’d rather not comment on something that is only hypothetical. For now, my volleyball future in Azerbaijan is tied to Rabita Baku team only.


    Let’s talk about something else then. What do you do in your spare time? Do you have close friends in your team?


    I do have a lot of friends in the team but we mostly spend our time together at practices and games only. Other than volleyball, my biggest passion is photography and I spend a lot of time taking photos. For how long do I plan to play volleyball? I intend to play volleyball as long as I enjoy it. With years I gained so much experience that now I actually enjoy the game even more than before.