The European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Tibor Navracsics ended his one-day visit to Belgrade – paid on the occasion of the European Week of Sport – by taking part in a mini football tournament, together with representatives of the humanitarian organisation Zajedno za zivot dedicated to helping families of children who suffer from rare and serious diseases.
The humanitarian tournament brought together various actors from the world of sports: representatives of the European Olympic Committee, the Romanian Minister of Sports, retired professional athletes and sports journalists.
Opening the tournament at the Ranko Zeravica sports hall, Navracsics called on citizens of Belgrade and Serbia to “be active” and noted that friendship and solidarity are inextricably linked to sports.
Commissioner Navracsics, the Romanian Minister Ioana Bran, handball player Bogdan Venta and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi presented the founder of the humanitarian organisation Zajedno za zivot Jovan Simic with original sports souvenirs which will be up for humanitarian auction on 29 September.
Commissioner Navracsics donated a signed jersey of the handball team from Veszprem, Hungary; Ambassador Fabrizi donated a jersey worn by the famous Czech basketball player Jan Vesely; while the sports journalist Olga Danilovic offered her daughter Olga’s tennis racquet.
Three teams took part in the mini football tournament: “Zajedno za zivot”, made up of journalists, the “Be Active” team, led by Commissioner Navracsics and “Friends of sports” team, led by the legendary handball player Bogdan Wenta.
Ambassador Fabrizi presented trophy cups to the winning press team, to Commissioner Navracsics’s second-ranked team, and to the third-ranked Olympic squad.
The European Week of Sport, which runs from 23-30 September, is being celebrated in Serbia for the first time with a series of activities organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Olympic Committee of Serbia, with support from the EU Delegation, across Serbia.
