Milana Plećaš
Who are you? What is your involvement in basketball?
My name is Milana Plećaš and I am originally from Serbia. I have been living in Glasgow since 2011. I work at SP Energy Networks, a distribution network operator, in Glasgow as a lead design engineer.
I am a level 3 Table Official within basketballscotland and a qualified FIBA Table Official. I have been officiating games at all national leagues in Scotland and in the men and women’s British Basketball Leagues.
Why do you table officiate? What motivates you to keep doing it?
Having grown up in Serbia, where basketball is the national sport, and coming from a family that has strong links to the game, with my father being a coach and my brother playing at a high level, basketball has always been a large part of my life. I myself have played basketball and been a table official in Serbia since my teenage years.
I particularly enjoy being a table official as it is a great opportunity to be involved in the game in a wide range of ways. It is exciting as it is a fast-moving game that requires focus, concentration, and quick reaction times. I have also very much enjoyed the social side of the game and have met a lot of wonderful people.
Tell us about a female role model who has inspired you?
Nataša Kovačević is a 26-year-old Serbian former professional basketball player. She played for all categories of the national team of Serbia and was one of Serbia’s most promising young basketball players. In 2013, while she was 19 and playing in Hungary, a bus accident took place on the way to a friendly game and as a result of injury, she had her left leg amputated below the knee.
However, she has never lost her love for basketball. She came back and played basketball again with a prosthetic leg. She signed a contract with ‘Crvena Zvezda’ from Belgrade in 2015-16 and won the women’s national basketball cup.
She is also an ambassador for young people for FIBA Europe and has established the Kovačević foundation to support young athletes. Furthermore, she has started a master’s degree at Northumbria University in Newcastle.
Nataša is a true role model not just for women and girls but for everyone. She is an example of how it is possible to succeed in the face of true adversity and her story always reminds me of how we should always remain optimistic even in the most trying times.
Watch the trailer for Nataša’s documentary here
