The 40-year-old 7ft 1in former Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings centre was elected last month and is now proposing major changes.

 

He said: "There have been a lot of things that have not been dealt with properly.

 

"That’s why change was necessary in the first place.

 

"The entire system needs to be overhauled – from the grassroots to the top professional sport.

 

"Our motive is not to be active in the Olympic year, but throughout the period between the Games.

 

"If we, for instance, spot a talented kid at the age of 18, it is logical to assume we should monitor their development and support them, because they could grow into an Olympic-medal material by the age of 22.

 

"We need to set our priorities straight, nurture the individual sports in which this nation was once successful.

 

"We don’t need to go all the way to China to see the home nation win 30-odd medals in individual sports, we can just learn something from the examples of Hungary or Slovenia.

 

"Serbia has always produced excellent tennis players, swimmers, as well as volleyball and basketball teams, and once we are certain what our priorities are, then we will be getting the job done the right way."

 

From 1920 to 2004 Serbian athletes participated at the Olympics as part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia and Montenegro before finally competing as a wholly independent nation at Beijing last is year, where they won three medals, a silver and two bronze.

 

Divac wants to improve on that performance in London in 2012.

 

He said: “The Government are currently putting in a lot of effort to develop sport, which wasn’t the case before.

 

"Sport is important for any country, but it must be protected from current political affairs.

 

"I firmly believe that we are capable of fighting against these things.”