ZAGREB (Croatia) – Bojan Bogdanovic has announced his retirement from basketball at the age of 36.

Having made his senior team debut in 2010, he represented Croatia on the international level at two FIBA Basketball World Cups and five FIBA EuroBasket tournaments, as well as playing at the Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament in 2016.

“

Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest.

He was named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 All-Star Five, having led Croatia to the Semi-Finals of the competition.

During his NBA career, he played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and, most recently, New York Knicks.

Bojan Bogdanovic shared the following message on his social media channels:

Sometimes in life, you don’t choose the moment. The moment chooses you.

After 14 months of battling a foot injury, two surgeries, and countless efforts to get back on the court, the time has come to close a chapter.

After more than two decades in the game, the moment has arrived to say goodbye to basketball. Not just as a sport, but as a part of who I am.

It’s hard to put into words everything this game has given me. It shaped me as an athlete, but even more as a person.

From my childhood in Mostar and my early steps in football and water polo, this journey has been anything but ordinary.

I’ve had the privilege of playing for clubs that left their mark on both European and NBA basketball.

From Mostar and Zrinjski, to Real Madrid and Murcia, then to Cibona and Fenerbahçe, I wore every jersey with pride.

The NBA brought a whole new level of challenge and experience. I had the honor of wearing the jerseys of the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and finally the New York Knicks.

Every stop left a mark. Every jersey carried its own weight.

Above all, I had the honor of wearing the Croatian crest on my chest.

Playing for the national team was never just a responsibility. It was pride, emotion and identity.

Representing my country from youth levels all the way to the senior team was the greatest honor of my career.

Thank you to all the coaches, teammates, medical staff, fans and clubs who were part of this journey in any way.

A special thank you to my family. You were the foundation through every high and every doubt.

I’m closing this chapter, but my love for the game remains.

I didn’t reach the end. I’ve reached the other side of the beginning…

FIBA

A Vermillion County volleyball team is national champions.

Stateline Pride, an AAU 17 program, traveled down to Florida, and took home first place.

“Those girls are a tremendous group of girls that made history for Vermillion County and really just themselves,” said head coach Emily Franklin.

Despite being in Orlando, Florida, this was a business trip for the volleyball program.

“The girls do long hours in the gym, even if they’re in the afternoon wave, they will only probably get a little bit of time out in the sun before they got to come in and they got to get rest and get acclimated to the gym and preparing,” said Franklin.

The team was loaded with talent.

Franklin said, “We had three all Americans named which is a big accomplishment for nationals in your volleyball career, and those would be Gwendolyn Bennett, she’s from Westville, Illinois. Madeline Doggett, she’s from Westville, Illinois, and Reese McFarland was the tournament MVP.”

But the talent isn’t top heavy — it’s loaded top to bottom.

And they could be even better next season if there’s retention.

“I hope all of them return. They’re all 17 or younger. We have a couple 16 year olds on the team,” said Franklin. “

“You know, when an NFL team wins a Super Bowl, they say, ‘We’re going to Disney World!” I said. “Is that going to happen for your volleyball team?”

Coach said, “I think maybe some families are doing it, but I think some of the other families are deciding to either travel back or just relax, because it is a lot to commit to, and so I appreciate all the family’s commitment as well.”

Police in Agadir, in coordination with the Territorial Surveillance Agency (DGST), arrested two British nationals, on Saturday in the city’s Anza district on international arrest warrants issued by UK authorities, a security source reported.

After verifying the Interpol database, police found that one of the men was wanted for suspected involvement in a homicide.

The second suspect was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for allegedly failing to appear in court and violating parole conditions.

The Interpol Bureau in Rabat notified the relevant UK authorities of their detention before initiating extradition procedures.

State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyomingPuerto RicoUS Virgin IslandsArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces PacificArmed Forces EuropeNorthern Mariana IslandsMarshall IslandsAmerican SamoaFederated States of MicronesiaGuamPalauAlberta, CanadaBritish Columbia, CanadaManitoba, CanadaNew Brunswick, CanadaNewfoundland, CanadaNova Scotia, CanadaNorthwest Territories, CanadaNunavut, CanadaOntario, CanadaPrince Edward Island, CanadaQuebec, CanadaSaskatchewan, CanadaYukon Territory, Canada

Zip Code

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People’s Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People’s Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People’s Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People’s Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People’s Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People’s Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People’s Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D’Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, Revolutionary People’s Rep’c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People’s RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People’s Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People’s RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People’s Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People’s RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) -Grace Ann represented Mississippi grandly at the Distinguished Young Women National Finals in Mobile, Alabama.

She was named a Top 8 finalist and won preliminary awards in Self-Expression and Interview.

The entire state of Mississippi is incredibly proud of Grace Ann, as she continues to accomplish great things representing the state.

Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter!

Copyright 2025 WTOK. All rights reserved.

Jammu, Jun 29: In a landmark moment for sports in Jammu and Kashmir, the Volleyball Association of J&K (VAJK) on Sunday felicitated the J&K boys volleyball team for securing a historic gold medal at the 7th Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) held in Patna, Bihar.

As per a statement issued, this marks J&K’s first-ever gold medal in a team event at the national-level KIYG, a feat celebrated with pride and emotion at a special ceremony hosted at Lemon Tree Hotel, Jammu.

The felicitation ceremony was held in a grand yet emotionally charged environment, celebrating the dedication, discipline, and sheer willpower of the players who brought glory to the region.

The President of VAJK, Sidharth Daluja, led the function and honoured the players and officials with shawls and cash prizes amounting to Rs 72,000.

The J&K team’s journey in the KIYG tournament was filled with challenges and triumphs. After consecutive wins in the pool stage—first defeating Uttarakhand in a thrilling 3-2 match (18-25, 25-20, 16-25, 27-25, 15-09), followed by a smooth 3-0 win against Bihar (25-21, 25-19, 25-23)—the team lost to Uttar Pradesh 1-3 (25-14, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20) but maintained its momentum and reached the semi-finals for the first time, breaking all previous records.

In the semi-finals, the J&K team displayed flawless coordination and strategy, overpowering Manipur 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-19), securing a historic berth in the finals. The grand finale saw a spirited rematch against Uttar Pradesh, and this time, the J&K boys turned the tables with a dominant 3-1 victory (35-33, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21), claiming the gold medal with resilience and excellence.

The winning squad included Sahib Kalear (Arnia), Akash Manhas (Pargwal), Ganik Sharma (Kathua), Sahil Shamim (Anantnag), Nasir Ajaz Sofi (Baramulla), Wani Mahir (Srinagar), Abid Gulzar (Ganderbal), Bilal Ahmed (Poonch), Karan Rajput (Reasi), Kunal Gorean (STC Jammu), Rehan Parvez (Poonch), Mohit (Samba), and Sandeep (Pallanwala). Subash Shastri served as the team manager, with Naresh Kumar as the head coach and Prateek Kumar and Shubham Sharma as assistant coaches.

Prior to the competition, the players underwent rigorous training and conditioning at MA Stadium, Jammu, under the expert guidance of the coaching panel of volleyball coaches Naresh Kumar, Prateek and Shubham Sharma.

The selection was carried out by a panel of experts nominated by the J&K Sports Council, and players drawn from different districts were groomed to enhance their skills, including advanced techniques, service, defence, and spikes.

Sidharth Daluja expressed heartfelt gratitude to Nuzhat Gul, Secretary of the J&K Sports Council, for her unwavering support and cooperation with the team for their excellent performance in the team-wise event in KIYG. Kuldip Magotra, CEO; H.S. Gill, Executive Vice President; Ramesh Sharma, Treasurer; and V.K. Magotra, General Secretary of the Volleyball Association of J&K, also lauded the team for its excellent performance and for bringing laurels to J&K UT and the Association, which was unprecedented in the history of J&K.

Sidharth Daluja honoured players & officials who added another star in the crown of J&K by breaking all previous records in the sports arena in the team-wise mega event Khelo India Youth Games held recently in Bihar.

During his address, Sidharth Daluja called upon the youth to utilise every opportunity to explore and sharpen their talents, both in sports and academics. He reiterated the association’s commitment to promote volleyball in every corner of Jammu and Kashmir and urged the younger generation to stay away from drugs and contribute to nation-building.

Raj Daluja, Patron-in-Chief of VAJK, graced the event as Chief Guest. He emphasised the transformative power of sports in shaping the future of the youth and encouraged all stakeholders to actively participate in team sports, especially volleyball, to strive for excellence at the national level.

He appreciated the joint efforts of the J&K Sports Council, Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), and Sports Authority of India (SAI) in helping the team reach this milestone.

Among the dignitaries present were Manmeet Singh (Joint Secretary), Akbar Ali (Secretary, VAJK), Neelofar Habib (Secretary, Kulgam District Volleyball Association), and Veena Kumari (Executive Member, VAJK).

The event began with a two-minute silence in memory of Madan Lal Toofan, Vice President of VAJK, who passed away recently, paying homage to his contributions to the sport.

The function concluded with a call to continue the momentum and build upon this unprecedented success, aiming for even greater accomplishments in the future.