Two young men from Split, members of the 'Bili Tići - Special Power Team Hajduk' association, won the silver medal at the Genuine Cup, the world championship for people with intellectual disabilities. In the final, they were stopped on penalties by Bayer Leverkusen.
While Croatia awaits a new medal from major football tournaments, two young men from Split have already brought one home. Ivan Gulišija (24) and Nikola Ćurak (20), members of the sports association 'Bili Tići - Special Power Team Hajduk', returned to Split on Tuesday with silver medals from the Genuine Cup, the world championship for people with intellectual disabilities held in Houston.
The Croatian national team was stopped in the final after a penalty shootout, where Bayer Leverkusen, representing Germany, emerged victorious. This year, the tournament brought together 1,000 athletes from around 60 countries and 60 teams, a significant increase from last year's 40-odd teams and the modest 12 teams three years ago when the competition was launched.
Boris Bošnjak, president of the Sports Association 'Bili tići' from Split, emphasizes that both players deserved their place in the national team. "These are two very talented young men who know how to play football, and that's why I nominated them to go to this championship," said Bošnjak. Ivan joined the association a few months ago and quickly established himself as an excellent footballer, while Nikola is more of a technical player with a great left foot. "The two of them were certainly the two most important links in our national team," he added.
"Those Germans beat us in the final on penalties, but they weren't any better than us. We were actually better, but they had more luck."
Ivan Gulišija has been a beneficiary of the 'Juraj Bonači' Center since he was seven years old. Director Snježana Čotić explained his journey: "He completed his training as a painter here, and the entire team that worked with Ivan has been helping him all this time. When he finished his training, he got a job thanks to the good people at the company 'Andrija i Zuli'. He works there, earns a salary, and we, as the Center, have provided him with supported housing." Five beneficiaries live in the apartment, each with their own room, and Ivan goes to work from there and has sports activities in the afternoon.
The supported housing service was launched in 2023 and currently covers 17 beneficiaries in three housing communities, including those on Stepinčeva Street in Split and in Makarska. "They have our comprehensive 24-hour support, but over time we notice, as in Ivan's case, that he can manage without 24-hour support given that he works, is independent, and can take care of himself," said Čotić.
The stay in Houston lasted eight days and was extremely demanding. "They wake up at 5 a.m., then prepare for the match at 8 a.m. due to the high temperatures and humidity, and afternoon matches start at 6 p.m.," described Bošnjak. Despite the exhausting pace, Ivan said at the welcome at Split Airport that he would do it all again and that it was a huge honor to play for Croatia. During breaks, they visited the zoo and downtown Houston, and Ivan brought home a genuine cowboy hat made of suede leather.
The competition at the tournament was extremely strong. Bošnjak particularly highlighted Boca Juniors from Argentina: "Boca has four players in their team who are deaf-mute, they have hearing impairments, but they have exceptional motor skills, they are strong, fast, and know how to handle the ball." The tournament is funded by a Spanish billionaire whose close associate has a daughter with Down syndrome, and the next edition is expected to be held again in Houston.
Three years ago, the 'Bili tići' association signed a contract with Hajduk and became its special team. "We are practically Hajduk's special team, we are part of Hajduk's structure, and Hajduk helps us as much as they can," said Bošnjak. In Croatia, there are 10 associations integrated into football clubs, including the special teams of Dinamo and Istra, and the league in which they compete has existed for 10 years.
In addition to domestic successes, 'Bili tići' entered a European project with Deportivo La Coruña and Split's Spalato a few months ago. The goal is the integration of children with disabilities and inclusion with healthy children. "We have to complete 36 activities over a year and a half. It's going great, we document everything, we have two ladies leading the project and our David from Deportivo," revealed Bošnjak, adding that in the second phase of the project, clubs from all over Europe will be included and a sort of Champions League will be organized.
Ivan and Nikola have already announced new ambitions. "I'm very happy we won silver this year; we almost brought home the gold medal, but we'll bring it next year," said Nikola. Their football idols are Marko Livaja and Ivan Perišić.
