Few days before first round of "red" group, EAGLES division we spoke with Per-Aleksandar Jakovljevic, Executive director and general secretary of HK Partizan Beograd. 

HK Partizan Beograd is a new team in Carpathian Junior Hockey League. Tell us something about your club.

HK Partizan Beograd is Serbian most successful ice hockey club and one of the greatest clubs from ex Yugoslavia (founded in 1948) and has won 7 national championship titles of Yugoslavia (1948, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1985/86) and 14 national championship of Serbia from which 11 consecutive (last one 2016/2017). HK Partizan has won Slovenian ice hockey league twice (SLO hokej liga 2010/11, 2011/12) respectively.

What about your national championship. How many teams are in Serbia in this age category?

Today in Serbia we do have national championships in all youth categories: U10, U12, U14 (from this year U15), U16, U18. Currently, there will be 5 clubs participating in new formed U15 Serbian championship for 2018/2019 season.

Tell us something more about hockey in your country, especially about youth and junior hockey.

We have decent youth base in Serbia but lacking of infrastructure (only 3 indoor arena’s), prevents more children to take part in our sport. That is why we are constant in searching for developing all around the region, we need more ice time and more games.

How you got known about CJHL?

As I told, we need more ice time and more games ... that is the answer why and how we found the way to join CJHL. Our Ukrainian friends and good relations with Slovakian association helped a lot in connecting with CJHL management. 

Was your deciding about participation in Carpathian Junior Hockey League hard? What was the main reason of your decision to take part in this competition?

We do believe that CJHL is right strategic move for developing young players, it is much stronger competition comparing to other leagues in our region. We do have some experiance playing Hungarian youth leagues but CJHL is quite different task for us.

What are your expectations?

We do not know what to expect, it is all new for us. We have never played against any of other participant’s from our red group but we will fight and play the best we can .

What we can expect from your team, what style of hockey you prefer?

Our coaching staff is very experianced internationaly and prefer to play more atacking style as much as possible of course.

What's your wish to all players of CJHL for this season?

We wish everybody in CJHL to socialize and develop their skills, it will be interesting to see young players from Karpat region to compete. Above the result’s, fair play first !