PODGORICA - Montenegro and basketball.

You can't imagine one without the other.

Montenegro was important to what has been dubbed the Yugoslavian basketball miracle, a period of sustained excellence which lasted for more than half a century.

In 14 of the former Yugoslavia's gold-medal winning sides at European Championships, FIBA Basketball World Cups and Olympics, there were Montenegrins in the teams.

Montenegro has had wonderful players and coaches, excellent referees, hardworking officials and administrators.

There have been some courageous, talented, determined and intelligent people involved with the game in the country.

Since having its federation recognized by FIBA in 2006, the men's and women's teams of Montenegrin basketball have played at European Championships.

On Friday night, a gala was held at the Montenegrin National Theater in Podgorica, with a huge audience reflecting on the sport and its importance to the country, and likewise reflecting on the country and its importance to the sport.

Called '60 Years of Basketball in Montenegro', the ceremony recognized and celebrated the Montenegrin Basketball Federation.

It was both informative and inspirational.

Many of those people that have made Montenegrin basketball what it is today were attendance, as well as dignitaries in the game from neighboring countries and all over Europe.

Special guests included playing and coaching greats, representatives of other European basketball federations and Montenegro government officials

There basketball federations of Serbia, France, Romania, Turkey, Croatian, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD) and Slovenia had members in attendance.

There were coaching greats Dusko Vujosevic, Bogdan Tanjevic, Rusmir Halilovic, Mirko Novosel and Bozidar Maljkovic.

There were playing greats like Dejan Bodiroga, Dejan Tomasevic, Igor Rakocevic, Zarko Paspalj, Ratko Radovanovic, Zarko Varajic, Zdravko Radulovic, Dragan Kapicic, Josip Derda, Zeljko Jerkov, Ivo Daneu, Petar Naumovski and Blagoje Georgijevski.

Montenegro government officials included Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapic, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Luksic.

There was FIBA Secretary General an IOC Member Patrick Baumann.

Milo Djukanovic, the Prime Minister of Montenegro and President of Basketball Federation of Montenegro, spoke to the audience.

Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister of Montenegro and President of Basketball Federation of Montenegro, held talks with FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann

"Since 2006," he said, "we have started to write new pages in the history of Montenegrin basketball when we became the member of FIBA.

"Two years later, our national teams started to play in FIBA competition and in the past seven years, we participated in five final tournaments of the European Championships.

"For a country like Montenegro, it is a great success. It is an affirmation of its own values ​​and talents, and a reliable guarantee that we will continue to have its place among the best."

Djukanovic looked ahead with optimism.

He said: "In the future, in front of the Basketball Federation of Montenegro there are clear aims to make systematic work to make expansion for players and coaching base, to affirmed the competition at the national level, which are the prerequisites to achieve high results at the regional and wider international level.

"And, for the future development of Montenegro and the Montenegrin sport in general, our special obligation is to commit to the development of sport among the youngest generations, to place due attention and give support to the most talented, as well as the work in the promotion of sports education and facilitating the development of sports science."

Mr Djukanovic and Turgay Demirel, FIBA Europe President

FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel was also among the speakers.

"The success of Montenegrin Basketball is a credit to this country's entire basketball community, many of whose members are in this room," Demirel said.

"I want to congratulate all the players, coaches, officials, and administrators who have made this possible.

"I am excited to continue working with this federation in the years ahead.

"The future for Montenegrin and European Basketball is very bright."

FIBA