Host of EYOF 2019: Olympic flag handed over to mayors of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo

Last night, at the closing ceremony of the 13th EYOF in Erzurum, the Olympic flag was lowered and handed over to Abdulah Skaka and Nenad Samardžija, mayors of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo. In front of several thousand athletes from Europe, the national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina was played, shifting the focus of the European Olympic family towards Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, hosts of the next 14th EYOF in 2019, Patria reports.

 

Upon receiving the Olympic flag, Mayor Skaka congratulated the host on the successful organization of the EYOF and the athletes on their achievements.

„In February 1984, Sarajevo hosted the best-organized Winter Olympic Games up to that point. Our intention is to repeat that and be even more successful at EYOF 2019, which represents a strong promotion for our cities, the country, and an exceptional opportunity for young people,“ Skaka emphasized.

Mayor Skaka met with the mayor of Erzurum, Mehmet Sekmen, who paid him special honor and introduced him to the City Council of Erzurum. Incidentally, this Turkish city, one of whose streets is named Sarajevo, has a population of 800,000, and its university has 300,000 students.

Mayor Sekmen offered expert assistance to the City of Sarajevo in organizing EYOF 2019, and as a gesture of friendship, the possibility was announced that the City of Erzurum could restore the facades of one of Sarajevo's streets.

The mayor of Sarajevo was also received by the governor of Erzurum, who offered support for the organization of EYOF 2019 in terms of human resources. The police director of Erzurum, with whom Skaka also met, expressed readiness for police experts to share their experiences with their colleagues in Sarajevo.