Banja Luka and the Vrbas river host the ECA European Championship for juniors and younger seniors in kayaking and canoeing on wild waters

The Executive Board of the European Kayak Federation (ECA) unanimously decided that the next ECA European Championship for juniors and younger seniors in kayak and canoe on wild waters for 2022 will be held in Banja Luka, on the river Vrbas. Last weekend, at the solemn ceremony of the ECA European Championship for 2021, which was held in Slovenia (Nova Gorica), the flag of the European Kayak Association was lowered and it was presented to the organizer of the European Championship in 2022, which was received by Nikola Stanković, on behalf of the technical organizer.

More than 500 participants from 15 European countries are expected to compete in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they will drive sprints and downhill disciplines in individual and team races.

The following is the rest of the announcement of the Kayak-Canoe Federation of BiH:

The city of Banja Luka and the river Vrbas have become recognizable for kayaking and canoeing on wild waters and the only ones in the world can boast that they have so far organized numerous European and world competitions in this sport, as follows:

-2011 ECA European Championship for juniors and younger seniors in slalom;

-2012 ICF Kayak and Canoeing World Cup in downhill wild water;

-2013 ICF Kayak and Canoeing World Cup finals in downhill;

-2014 ECA European Wild Water Kayak and Canoe Championships for downhill juniors;

-2015 ECA European Wild Kayak and Canoeing Championships for downhill seniors;

-2016 ICF World Kayak and Canoe World Championships for downhill seniors;

-2017 ECA European Cup in kayaking and canoeing on down water;

-2018 ICF World Cup in kayaking and canoeing on wild waters;

-2019 ICF World Kayak and Canoe World Championships for juniors and juniors downhill;

-2020 ECA European Cup in kayaking and canoeing on wild waters (canceled due to coronavirus pandemic);

-2021 ICF World Cup in kayaking and canoeing on wild waters

It is especially worth mentioning that in 2014, due to the European Junior Championship, Prince Albert II of Monaco visited Banja Luka, who awarded medals to the winners in the official protocol.

Kayak events organized on the Vrbas River, in addition to the sports aspect, were very important for the economy and tourism of Banja Luka and the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering that due to kayak races, thousands of nights were spent in Banja Luka.

An example of this is the data of the Tourist Organization of Banja Luka (TOBL) that in 2016, during the ICF World Championship for seniors, more than 2,000 foreign guests visited Banja Luka, while the competition itself lasted a week.

This year, unlike previous events, there were no concerts organized as part of the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Cup due to the corona virus pandemic. Earlier, concerts of groups were organized: Elemental, Letu štuke, Kiki Lesendrić and Piloti, Rock symphony, TBF, Bad copy, Atheist rap ... and completely free of charge for all visitors and guests. We hope that next year the epidemiological situation will be much better and that our guests, despite their competitive obligations, will have the opportunity to have a great time in Banja Luka and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the coming days, the Organizing Committee of the ECA European Championship for juniors and younger seniors in kayaking and canoeing on wild waters will be appointed and propose a plan of organization and preparation, and many years of experience and a permanent team guarantee that the competition will be organized at the top level.

After the mentioned organizational steps, we will try to provide material support, both from the competent institutions and the private sector, so that the event gets an imaginary shape, and the city of Banja Luka and Bosnia and Herzegovina prove its hospitality and professionalism for the 12th time. the only one on the planet to which the World Kayak Federation assigns the organization of one of the most important races every year. So far, we have justified the trust every time, and we hope that it will be the same this year.

Text and photo: Canoe kayak and rafting association of Bosnia and Herzegovina