SHAME FOR THE COUNTRY: Bosnia and Herzegovina stripped of EYOWF 2017!

For the first time in the history of organizing the European Youth Olympic Festival, one country has been stripped of the organization of this sports spectacle, reports the Patria News Agency.  

The biggest sports event in BiH after the 1984 Winter Olympics, EYOWF 2017, will not be held in February 2017. The cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, which were entrusted with the organization of the games, did not meet the set conditions.

The leaders of the European Olympic Committee held a session where it was decided to deny BiH the hosting of the competition for 2017.

The only thing done so far is the establishment of a company headed by Samir Avdić. No progress has been made in further preparations and meeting the conditions. All levels of government have failed.

To organize this sports event, it was necessary to secure 6.2 million euros.

At the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committee (EOC) in December 2012 in Rome, Sarajevo and East Sarajevo officially received the organization of the European Youth Winter Olympic Festival for 2017.

Sarajevo and East Sarajevo were the only candidates for the organization of this competition, after the Turkish city of Kayseri withdrew its candidacy, which literally means that the Turks gifted us the hosting of this significant sports event.

Official Confirmation

It is true that the Executive Board of the European Olympic Committee considered the current situation of organizing EYOF Sarajevo and East Sarajevo 2017 at its last session. As of this moment, we have not received a decision that EYOF 2017 has been canceled.

Based on the reports received from the experts of the European Olympic Committee, which were analyzed in detail, and considering the fact that there is little time left until the start of the event for adequate organization, the Executive Board of the European Olympic Committee has made a decision that certain measures will be taken after July 20, 2015.

The measures taken can go in two directions: either the organization of EYOF 2017 will be taken away from the cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, or the possibility will be left for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to send a request to the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the city of Erzurum, which is the host of EYOF 2019, to swap the organization dates. It is expected that this initiative would be accepted by Turkey.

With this swap, the cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo would get an additional two years for quality organization of EYOF, which would have to be supported concretely, not declaratively, and they would be the organizers of EYOF 2019.

Olympic Committee of BiH