Adapt like Novak Djokovic did during Balkan War: Bolivian football coach to his players

Tennis is not the only sport affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Football leagues around the world were also forced to go on a break, and are now in the process of finishing the season - with a highly taxing schedule.

But for nations like Bolivia, the problem is even more severe; the pandemic has brought along huge financial troubles and also player commitment issues. In such a situation, the coach of the Bolivia national football team Cesar Farías has asked his players to take inspiration from tennis legend Novak Djokovic - who had to train between bullets and bombs during the Balkan War.

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic hails from a war-torn period in his country

Bolivia is still reporting over 2,000 new cases of COVID-19 every day, with the country's interim president also testing positive a week ago. The country's domestic football league still remains suspended, with no indication of a return date.

Unlike the other (richer) football federations, players of the 'Selección de Bolivia' (Bolivian football federation) don't get much of an incentive for representing the national team. Moreover, the Bolivian domestic league still being on a COVID enforced break means that a lot of the players have not received their wages either.

The national federation has left the players on their own devices, and has done little to resolve the wage situation between the players and their clubs.

In such a scenario, motivating the players and keeping them focused on the upcoming South American Qualification ties for the FIFA World Cup is not easy. But the national team's Venezuelan coach César Farías is trying everything he can.

Farias asked of his players to adapt to the situation and keep training just the way Novak Djokovic did as a boy, amid the gunfire raining down on his city.

"We have to play for the national team to defend it. It's like when Djokovic was training in the former Yugoslavia. He adapted to the problem to be the best in the world," Farias said.

Novak Djokovic's childhood amidst the Balkan war

A mural depicts Djokovic outside the flat where he stayed during the bombing of Belgrade in 1999. Credits: BBC

Not everyone in the world gets a luxurious, carefree childhood. And Novak Djokovic's childhood was the exact opposite of luxurious and carefree.

Living in a war-torn country, fleeing one apartment for another and dodging the NATO bombing runs in his home town of Belgrade in 1999, Novak Djokovic faced fear and uncertainty at practically every corner. When he was 12 he took shelter in his grandfather's basement as a bomber launched missiles on his neighborhood - an experience that would have traumatized even full-grown adults.

But the determined boy wouldn't let anything come in his way. And when he left his home for Germany to fulfill his tennis dreams, his journey took on a completely different color.

Novak Djokovic's apartment building in Belgrade during the war times, which now has his mural. Credits: BBC

Today, we know that 12-year-old boy as a 17-time Grand Slam champion and one of the greatest players in the history of tennis. Bolivia's coach Cesar Farias wants his players to remember that little boy who dreamed big, and went on to conquer all the obstacles in his way - including mass death and destruction.

The example of Novak Djokovic can inspire and help not only the Bolivian footballers, but also the general population of the world that is facing extreme times during the COVID-19 pandemic.