“The coronavirus pandemic is winding down, so the 23rd edition of the Pannonian Challenge could be strong again”, festival director Jurica Barać said at a press conference, adding that the focus this year would be on accompanying cultural and musical events, which had not taken place in the last two years.
According to State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tomislav Družak, the Pannonian Challenge has outgrown Osijek and Croatia.
“New sports are being created today, and that’s good for the development of sports on a global level because young people bring new ideas and extreme sports with cycling are today becoming much more attractive than classic sports,” said Družak.
Asked about the funding provided by the Ministry for this project, Družak said that in the past three years, the Pannonian Challenge has received between HRK 300,000 to HRK 500,000.
Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anušić said that Osijek had become recognisable for this exceptional extreme sports festival.
“This isn’t just a sporting event, it also has a tourist dimension because it will make Osijek visible in the whole Europe and the world, which is an added value of the Pannonian Challenge,” said Anušić.
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