Mascot Groodvy Promotes Olympic Spirit

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - "Bosnia and Herzegovina is ready to revive the Olympic spirit," said the Director of EYOF 2019, Senahid Godinjak, at a press conference in Sarajevo today, confirming that the cities of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo are ready for the realization of the biggest Olympic festival for young athletes between 14 and 18 years of age. From February 9 to 16, 2019, the sports venues of the host cities will host over 1,500 competitors from 46 European countries.

"I am happy and proud to be able to thank you on behalf of the youth and the entire EYOF team for supporting this project and contributing to the entire festival looking even more festive. The entire Olympic movement is enriched by a partner with whom we will prove that Sarajevo and East Sarajevo will be the center of youth.

I am happy that Coca Cola and the EYOF team have been working for a long time on the preparation of what we see today. It took a lot of faith and effort to bring this project to this point. I want the President of the European Olympic Committees to say after February 16 that EYOF 2019 was the best organized EYOF ever, just as J. A. Samaranch said in 1984 that Sarajevo was the best host ever," Godinjak added.

The biggest sports event for European youth, which promotes the values and ideals contained in the Olympic Charter, as well as peace, coexistence, and fair play, will also be supported by Coca-Cola in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is also celebrating 50 years of business in the country in 2019.

"As a socially responsible company, Coca-Cola in Bosnia and Herzegovina continuously supports the community in which it operates through its activities. We are extremely proud that in the year we are also marking the 50th anniversary of the Coca-Cola system's operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we will continue our commitment to the social issues of youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thanks to this significant project, young people from all over the country, as well as from other European countries, will have the opportunity to show why we are and why we should be proud of them.

This beautiful and exciting journey promotes our beautiful country in the best way, and gives young sports talents the opportunity to develop their full potential," said Ruža Tomić-Fontana, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia, adding that Coca-Cola is one of the oldest partners of the Olympic Games and a sponsor of the International Olympic Committee, with a ninety-year-long partnership established back in 1928 in Amsterdam.

In honor of this unique collaboration, the visual identity of a special edition Coca-Cola bottle featuring the mascot Groodvy was presented today. The bottle, which will bring the Olympic spirit closer and celebrate this partnership, inspiring young people, and the EYOF 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival together with customers, will be available on our market from the beginning of February.

The disciplines in which young athletes will compete are: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating, snowboard, and curling.