September 21, 2019 – The European Week of Sport opened at Zagreb’s European Square on Saturday.
HRT reports that 5 and 10 kilometer races including more than 5,000 citizens started the European Week of Sport at Zagreb’s European Square, organized under the motto #BeActive for the fifth year in a row by the Central State Office for Sport. The event aims to encourage as many people as possible to participate in some form of physical activity.
“The message we send through this event is that sport, from its earliest days, instills great values for life such as friendship, fair play, honesty, team spirit, work, perseverance and perseverance, and at the same time a path that creates unbreakable long-lasting bonds. I am glad that this event was supported by our top athletes who are among us, and that there are many children here who inspire others with their activism, but that there our dear friends of a somewhat older age who show that in every stage of life, one should be active.
I am particularly pleased that representatives of the Paralympic Committee are also with us today because it is imperative that our inclusiveness policy for people with disabilities is also manifested through sport. Our Government is symbolic, given by our results and sports experience by our best athlete of all time, who is at the head of the Central State Office for Sport, Janica Kostelic. But in budgetary terms, and the context of the new National Sports Development Strategy we adopted this July for 2019 to 2026, she showed how much she cares about sports.
We must always keep in mind that sport is friendship and enjoyment, not violence, and these messages should be clear to everyone, because we do sports to be healthy and to be cheerful, and that is how it should be treated,” said Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic, who opened the European Sports Week, and signaled the start of the race.
For this occasion, the European Square, modeled on a sports village, was transformed into a large sports field where Olympic and Paralympic sports were presented. Visitors could try out football, basketball, and archery, but also practice with professional coaches. Citizens of all ages could get acquainted with the offer of sports clubs and fitness centers as well as sports for people with disabilities and learn about the importance of healthy eating.
In addition to the events at the European Square, a basketball tournament for children was held at the nearby basketball court in Tuskanac, while a futsal tournament l was held at Salata organized by the Zagreb School Sports Federation.
Special themed days will be dedicated to training in schools, as well as in companies across Croatia, to draw attention to the importance of recreation in schools and the workplace.
The European Week of Sport will close on September 28 on the Zadar waterfront, when a night workout from 8 pm to 10 pm will be organized under the name #BeActive Night. All participants will be able to exercise under the guidance of professional trainers and try different fitness programs from boxing and aerobics to power yoga.
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