Marjan Srbinovski: GKK Shtip expects a balanced Superleague; opener vs Tikvesh important but not decisive

30.09.2026 — The new basketball season in North Macedonia is about to begin, and with several roster moves announced this month organizers and clubs expect a tighter, higher-quality Macedonian Superleague. One of the teams that could shake up the competition is GKK Shtip, which joined the top flight with a wild-card.

Club leader Marjan Srbinovski spoke about the club's preparations and expectations ahead of the opener. He said the team began training on schedule and completed the first phase as planned, but injuries have interrupted the buildup and shortened the time to integrate new additions.

"We started preparations on time. We completed the first phase of the preparations as planned. We played several friendly games. We suffered a few injuries which forced us to cancel a few more tune-up matches. While waiting for the return of the injured players and the new foreign signing, we have a short period left for fine-tuning. But it is what it is — I expect that as time goes by we will steadily improve," Srbinovski said.

Season opener against Tikvesh

In the first round GKK Shtip hosts Tikvesh. Srbinovski stressed that the opening game matters but will not decide the season, and expects a balanced title race apart from a small group of stronger clubs.

"Apart from a few clubs that stand out in quality, I expect a rather balanced championship. The first match is always important, but it is not decisive. Of course we want to open the season with a win. We will give our maximum at this moment for that to happen. We as GKK Shtip want to give our best in every match, both at home and on the opponent's court," he added.

Shtip will try to use home advantage in the opener while continuing to integrate injured players and the incoming foreign reinforcement in the coming days.

Photo: press material from the event