Sports clubs from Pljevlja are dissatisfied with the amount of money that the local administration decided in the draft budget for the next year.
The budget of the municipality of Pljevlja is planned for the amount of 33,78 million euros and is the largest proposed budget so far. It is almost 1,2 million more than this year's and over four million euros more than the budget planned for 2023. 450.000 euros have been allocated for sports clubs.
"After the state and local authorities promised that they would work to keep young people in Pljevlja and restore the city, we expected that sports, together with culture, would be the basis of those plans. However, the draft budget for the following year, with funds for sports clubs in the amount of 450.000 euros, clearly shows that these promises were insincere. The funds are the same as last year, which we consider humiliating, especially if you take into account that the capital of Cetinje, whose budget is almost three times smaller than that of Pljevlja, allocates almost twice as much for sports. Decades of discriminatory attitude towards sports in Pljevlja led to a drastic reduction in the number of children playing sports. Talented athletes leave our clubs already in pioneering competition, looking for better conditions in other environments. We almost don't have senior athletes anymore because young people are leaving en masse," states the joint statement of sports clubs from Pljevlja: FK Rudar, FK Breznica, FK North Star, RK Rudar, RK Pljevlja, KK Pljevlja, KK Rudar, AK Rudar, Karate Club Potoci , Karate club Rudar, AKSK AP sport Pljevlja, Shooting club Centar, Kickboxing club Pljevlja and Ski club Rudar.
They claim that compared to other municipalities, Pljevlja is at the very bottom in terms of allocations for sports.
"The municipalities from which the clubs FK Sutjeska, FK Dečić, FK Budućnost, FK Petrovac and FK Mornar come from allocate over 500.000 euros for just one club, which is more than Pljevlja allocates for the entire sport. We ask for nothing more than what is due to us. The municipality of Pljevlja annually earns about two million euros from the environmental fees of the Coal Mine, Thermal Power Plant and Gradir Montenegro Mine. We believe that at least half of that amount must be invested in sports, because the health and development of our children are a priority. We remind you that the sports infrastructure in Pljevlja is collapsing due to acid rain and high levels of sulfur in the air, while children's training takes place in very bad conditions. There is an urgent need to allocate funds for the winter preparations of the clubs and the renovation of the sports infrastructure. We appeal to the local administration and councilors to recognize the importance of investing in sports, which is not only a way of developing young people, but also the key to creating a healthier society in our community," reads the announcement of the Pljeval sports clubs.
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