SARAJEVO, Dec 9: Mirza Delibasic, Olympic gold medallist with the former Yugoslavian basketball team in 1980, has died, Dnevni Avaz newspaper reported Sunday.

Bosnian Delibasic, who was 47, had been awarded the Olympic Order in April for his outstanding career as a player for Sloboda from the north-eastern town of Tuzla, KK Bosnia from Sarajevo and the Spanish team Real Madrid.

Bosnian press named Delibasic — European basketball champion with Sarajevo’s KK Bosna in 1979 — Bosnian sportsman of the past millennium.

Delibasic was the first coach of Bosnia’s national basketball team after the country declared independence from the former Yugoslav federation leading to a brutal 1992-95 war.—AFP