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PAGE 24 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1994 The deafening sounds of the shelling of Sarajevo continue to explode in his head. And the faces of fellow country â€" men who laid down their lives will be etched in his mind forever. means Snow White when translated into English) and their 11â€"yearâ€"old daughter, Marina, came to Canada last October as refugees from the town of Konjic, just six milesâ€"from Sarajevo. back, he and his family arrived in Waterloo searching for a new beginâ€" Chronicle Staff Alexander Kozomara can now sleep soundly at night â€" although there are times when he wakes up in a cold A former 14â€"year veteran First Diviâ€" sion professional soccer player and Second Division coach . from Yugoslavia, who also made his living as an electrician, the 40â€"yearâ€"old Kozomara now finds himself employed as a dishwasher in a Waterloo Chinese restaurant. However, he‘s not comâ€" plaining. It‘s a better life than what he Undoubtedly, he‘s bitterabout how the war between the Serbs, Muslims and Croatians has divided his country, but as a Bosnian Serb married to a Croatian he believes in mixed marâ€" riages and holds no ill feelings towards his fellow countrymen, some who don‘t share his beliefs. Separated by the shelling, left behind are his mother, brother and Snjezana‘s father. Earlier this month he received a phone call from a family in St. Catharines who, during a trip to Yugoslavia, talked to his mother. The news was encouraging and he was told that she was all right. Now that he has arrived in Canada, he wants to leave the bitterness of the war behind him and begin a fresh start on life. However, it‘s difficult for a person TWMMW ul who doesn‘t understand the language, Watert0O Athleti( His wife, a chemical engineer, has worked only three days since October. Together, they‘ve been attending English classes, but learning the language has been a struggle. When team owners and managers in the Kitchener and District Soccer League first heard of his arrival to the Kâ€"W area, many knew that by signing him as a coach or player Yugoslavian soccer pro makes new start with A‘s Waterloo Athletic assistant coach Alexander Kozomara and KDSL president Tony Kocis. xd only three days could be a big asset to the club. He admits that he was . one which he ittending English _ approached by ethnic clubs such as Romania, Beograd and _ "Trm yery £ en a struggle. Croatia, but he turned them down. have treated he Kitchener and _ It was through the advice of KDSL president Tony Kocis . _ _ . rrival to the Kâ€"W _ that Kozomara will give the Waterloo Athletics a try. â€" t in a lor Although Waterloo had already hired Syed Mohamed as However, he has many views about the going ons in his former country. He remembered, as a professional, playing in Kosevo Stadium repreâ€" senting his country. Today, he says, "It‘s just used for propaganda purâ€" poses." //' in Sarajevo, there‘s no peace in other "Tony Koci cities and towns throughout the "Fony country. It has been a long, bitter war, one which he thinks, will have no winners. "I‘m very grateful to the (Canadian) authorities. They have treated me and my family very well. For the first time in a long time I feel very secure. It‘s like getting a second chance in life." C 0 M P A W Y 181 King St. S., Waterloo its head coach, the experience of Kozomara would be invaluable. "I wanted to remain neutral," Kozomara said through interpreter _â€"ligéil, formerly from Zagreb, through the mind of Kozomara. Kocis realized that for Kozomara to have a fresh start in a new country, he had to start it with an open mind. "I asked him how would he feel to coach a team that has nothing to do with nationality, where everybody is welcomed â€"a true Canadian club," Kocis said of the Athletics. "He became very interested." Other than his lack of understandâ€" ing of the English language, Kozomara, a highlyâ€"qualified striker (centre forward) also can‘t underâ€" stand why the Athletics still haven‘t been allowed on a field to practice, especially when the season opener less than a month away. _ "With his experience as a profesâ€" sional player, he will definitely show them how the game of soccer is approached. There‘s more to it than "I think with his presence being there will give the club a little boost," going on the field and kicking the already begun in Yugoslavia if not for the war, When the shells stopped falling on Sarajevo last month, there was a soccer game played in Kosevo Stadium, the former 1984 Olympic Stadium. To Kozomara, the game should never have been allowed. The soccer season would have 11 a.m.â€"6 p-.'m. Including Holidays