It is played by a dozen young Afghan man and boys on the bank of Sava River, pausing in Serbian capital on their “long march” to EU and a new, better life.
Less then a kilometer downstream and under the walls of old Kalemegdan Fortress, Sava will meet with Danube making one of Belgrade’s most recognizable landmarks. But here, the story is about two somewhat different rivers which only rarely meet.
One is the flow of Capital, the other of People.
Their “odd confluence” is at the construction site of Belgrade Waterfront, an urban renewal development project lead by Serbian Government and Eagle Hills, an Abu Dhabi investment and Construction Company. With planed total investment of 3.9 billion Euro it is to be a new modern quarter consisted of shopping malls, business and residential areas, new 40 store Belgrade Tower and other steel and glass giants which are to change city skyline forever.
Similar to all Balkan countries, Serbia is in desperate need for investment and urban renewal, but this Dubai style intervention in the public space was not exactly what everybody was hoping for. Especially not in Sava-mala quarter which has over the past years become hub for artists and creative community gathered around multidisciplinary cultural platform - Mixer House.
Making its start here, Belgrade Waterfront project has drawn criticism since its beginning in 2012 mainly for the disregard of architectural context and urban heritage, lack of planning and infrastructural solutions, and last but not least for being thought of as a future “city for the rich”.
With average salary barely surpassing 380 Euro it is not likely that many Belgraders will live in the future exclusive quarter.
Spontaneous protests triggered the large demonstrations, and consequently ignited a popular social movement opposing Belgrade Waterfront project. Only last week some 10.000 Belgraders gathered in protest in Savamala. But the construction goes on, and so does our game of Cricket.
Shouts and cheers pierce the air of a bright, spring day making both players and local’s loose sight of surreal surroundings, and just enjoy the game while loaded mixer trucks pass by, feeding the ever hungry concrete pumps. The improvised Cricket pitch is located between few barracks which are left un-demolished. Messages: “Open the borders… Help us… We need food…” are written on them. It seems that the distraction from the rough reality is the essential motive for participation.
One of the boys explains that they made bets themselves from planks they’ve found on the nearby construction site: “I love Cricket, and I am good at it. Taliban’s tortured and beat up people who practiced it, or even just have equipment for it.”
Almost all of these men have their own story of brutality they have been exposed to at home, or on their voyages which often last a whole year. Hungarian border police is particularly notorious in this respect for using the attack dogs to prevent the illegal border crossing.
Pitch resembles the pictures of war torn cities in Syria or Afghanistan, while only few hundred meters further, behind the glossy pictures of happy families and fancy shops, the future Sava promenade is slowly taking its shape, with new bars and restaurants opening, youth driving on bicycles or roller blades.
Some of young Afghan men go to the promenade, but they remain “invisible.”
It is the world they do not belong to, not yet at least. For some of them, it is exactly Cricket that might help them in bridging this divide.
“We have provided some very basic equipment, for some of the facilities, and the next step is to send our coaches the refugee camps to practice with them, and maybe even scout for some talents,” speaks Vladimir Ninkovic of Cricket Association of Serbia.
Their organization is taking part in UNHCR program, supporting integration of refugees to local communities.
“Basic idea is to cover all 17 camps with at least bats, balls and stumps, so they can practice on their own. Some of them have real talent, and we are willing to help those who have applied for asylum in Serbia to integrate here through sports, by introducing them as players in our clubs.”
One of this man that need help is Noor Sheerzad, a 32 years old father of three and a former policeman from Jalalabad, and a new bowler of Mirijevo Cricket Club.
He speaks of today’s Afghanistan as a “very dark place” particularly difficult for those who try to resist the power of Mafia, Taliban, or ISIS network, as their families are often targeted.
“I did not want for my children to be hurt because of the job I do. With me gone they are safer. Drug Mafia is stronger than the Afghan state. They are so self assured that they often come to downtown area in Kabul, gun down state officials, policeman or soldiers, and then calmly drive away. They feel no urge to even get away in a hurry. It is the usual business for them. Last Friday some 200 soldiers were killed in single attack. We are people, not chicken… ”
Noor is active in Mixaliste, an offshoot project of Mixer House, which provides help for refugees who do not want to go to the refugee centers. He works there as translator.
In Afghanistan he was involved in training new policeman and fighting drug trafficking, but here in Serbia, he will play Cricket.
For start at least, as his ambitions go further.
“Cricket is the most popular sports in Afghanistan today, I used to play it on the street as a kid, in school team and then at the Police Academy. I will tell you a secret, I think I am better in volleyball as I am so tall, but I love Cricket also.”
Sports is not Noor’s top priority, as he often refers to some higher goals, and his eyes glow with a certain spiritual quality when he speaks about his desire to effect change in the world.
His role model is Gandhi:
“The most important thing is to be honest to each other, have an open mind, and be willing to stand up and create the change. I want to make the network of mutual support. In it everyone would be helping three other people, disregarding religion, nationality, race and any other division. And so, the good energy will spread. We all need peace. I need it for myself, but also to share it with others.”
Noor is stationed in former military barracks in Obrenovac, together with some 1040 man, mostly from Afghanistan, but also Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Northern Africa, making this camp among the biggest in Serbia.
Here, things are much better than at barracks next to bus station in Belgrade, there is food, basic hygiene conditions, but still most of the men want to leave.
With spring coming efforts in illegal border crossing will intensify, and Germany is still by far the most expensive word in vocabulary of camp residents:
“We know they do not want to stay here, they dream of European Union, and sometimes they even tell us about their plans, but there is nothing we can do. This is open camp, they can leave whenever they want, speaks Marko one of the staff members.
“Pray for me, they say. I don’t support their action in any way, but do understand them. They haven’t crossed half of the world to stay here.”
Among the refugees these attempts are called The Game, as the percentage of success these days, is similar to that of lottery.
But two complete sets of Cricket equipment, a donation of Taiwanese Tzu Chi Foundation, and two professional trainers from Serbian Cricket Federation help them set their mind on the different game. The one they love, and which makes them feel at home.
There is a almost constant smile on Hussein Khan Malik’s face, no matter if he stands behind batsman and Wicket, holding a bet himself, or bowling with a characteristically arm swing.
“I am all-rounder, I can play all positions” he says few minutes later, after he takes a post in the field.
Hussein is 20, but looks quite a bit older, as all of these men do.
“Germany is starting a Cricket league; they can take on anyone now. They have some of the best players. Like I am,” he says with a grin.
Hussein likes English clubs best but learning that he could play for some local teams in Serbia, makes his attentions shift. After the match is over he talks to one of the Serbian trainers. His team was victorious in today’s game, but as many of his compatriots, Hussein realizes that, as time passes, the other, bigger game is getting harder and harder, almost impossible to win.
Meanwhile, in Savamala, some more of the barracks used by refugees have been destroyed and bulldozer is digging in the place where the improvised Cricket pitch was only yesterday.
Next morning players are nowhere to be found and the boundary between the construction site and refugee barracks is pushed further still.
This is the spot where Belgrade Tower a 160 meters high skyscraper will rise. But even some of the Savamala long time residents are leaving the Quarter also.
Mixer House recently announced they are moving out, at least temporarily: “Owners of the space we rent for Mixer House have demanded that we close our aid center for refugees,” speaks Ivan Lalic, director of Mixer House, explaining his team decision to move their activities to Sarajevo.
“These people have gained on the cultural capital and international reputation we have created here, and now they want us out. We will be back in Belgrade some day, on different location, but with same spirit.” Lalic said their Aid center in Savamala will keep its door open, regardless what the obstacles they may come.
During the past two years over 150 000 refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and other countries have been helped in Mixaliste, whose work has been supported by some 1,300 domestic and international volunteers. It remains there as the a link, a temporary connection between the flows of People and Capital whose strict separation in today’s World, still represents essential feature of the Globalization as we know it.
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