Bosnia and Herzegovina is the first one marked by the Life Champions

Sarajevo and Doboj are the first cities that hosted the Life Champions team on the regional tour of presenting concept and activities for 2023 and 2024. On that occasion, over 200 children, parents and coaches learned in detail about the plans for the future – new free camps for children, training and study visits for coaches of younger categories and meetings of different formats for parents.

FC Željezničar from Sarajevo and FC Sloga from Doboj, partners in the project “Creating Life Champions” were the first to host representatives of the consortium, and in the following period info days will be held in other participating countries – Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, as well as in Montenegro, whose joining the project is expected in the next phase.

A calendar of activities was presented to those present, as well as ideas for further expansion of the concept, primarily through the introduction of women’s sections of involved football clubs, but also expansion into new sports disciplines – handball and boxing, which is especially important for those clubs that are part of sports associations, which in this case are both Željezničar and Sloga.

“Life Champions concept, which prioritizes the social and educational role of sport and highlights the importance of coaches as educators and pedagogues, began to develop in 2018, precisely with the participation of football clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, five years later, when the partnership includes 16 different actors from the sports, youth and educational sectors from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Portugal, Greece and Turkey, we wanted to evoke the beginnings and that is why we symbolically initiated a regional caravan precisely in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Apart from the fact that we will talk about the activities in the next two years with all those who will be part of the same – coaches, children and parents, we believe that the info days are an ideal opportunity to send clear messages about the region’s wish to cooperate, connect further and progress together. We are proud not only of the educational role of the project, but also of the fact that it was thanks to it that some children crossed the border of their country for the first time, and that is something we will insist on all the time – creating equal opportunities for everyone”, it was stated by Aleksandra Knežević, coordinator of the Life Champions concept and Nikola Sovrlić, president of Development Center for Youth – consortium coordinator after the first two info days.

Members of the consortium and expert group of the project Božo Marić and Siniša Ćerketa, whose enthusiasm and energy made it possible for children and young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina to find themselves in this exceptional educational and sports experience have also pointed out that the region needs messages of solidarity, togetherness and peace.

Regional info days, six of them in total in the period from March to May, are part of the project “Creating Life Champions” supported by the UEFA Foundation for Children.