The tenth anniversary of the European Week of Sport, which is traditionally celebrated every year from September 23 to 30 across Europe, was marked today with a central event in Visoko, attended by high-ranking officials from the European Union as well as numerous students and young athletes. In Park Ravne 2, they enjoyed and actively participated in a rich array of sports activities, thereby becoming part of the global #BeActive campaign.

The European Week of Sport and the #BeActive campaign were launched by the initiative of the European Commission in 2015 and are implemented under the “EU4Youth – European Week of Sport Beyond Borders in the Western Balkans” project, funded by the European Commission through the IPA program, with implementation by the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Family, Youth, and Sports of Republika Srpska, coordinated by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH.

Addressing the attendees, Marta KOS, European Commissioner for Enlargement, stated:

“I am very happy to be here today, to see all of you together, and that we are all connected by sport. I grew up in an area where many people engaged in sports. Why is sport so important in our lives? Those who engage in sports know what fair play is, they know that without investment there are no results, that sport means friendship, and friendship knows no borders. As representatives of the European Union, I am glad that we have been able to finance quite a few sports facilities, especially in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When we talk about the EU, we are not just talking about countries and politicians; we are talking about people, and if we start our friendships when we are young, they will last.”

The central event, which provided plenty of fun and enjoyment in football, handball, tennis, basketball, taekwondo, volleyball, karate, aerobics, as well as walks through the natural archaeological park, was organized by the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Among the numerous participants and athletes were Olympian Amel Tuka and Iman Avdić, a young prodigy of Bosnian sports.

“The European Week of Sport is a movement that does not stop throughout the year. We opened it with an international sports event in Cazin, and then this extraordinary synergy spread through Pale, Zenica, Široki Brijeg, Neum, East Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, and today it has reached Visoko. We are grateful to the European Commission and all our partners in implementing this project, and especially to the participants in these events whom we wish to remain active and exercise every day for their health and well-being,” said the President of the Olympic Committee, Academician Izet Rađo.

This year’s #BeActive campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina has traveled through nine cities and brought together thousands of participants, from the youngest to the oldest, in various competitions and sports events including football, rugby, water polo, triathlon, curling, cheerleading, and many other disciplines, sending a clear message — sport and movement are the keys to health, community, and a better life. The European Week of Sport encourages the idea that every day is an opportunity for physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.