Sarajevo and East Sarajevo without EYOF 2017 organization?!

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 2017 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival, writes the Patria news agency.

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.

But judging by what we have done so far, EYOF 2017 is hanging by a thread. In fact, currently, apart from the host cities, no other level of government is dealing with this matter (!?)

The company EYOF 2017 was also formed, headed by Samir Avdić, and in total, at this stage of project implementation, this company has four employees. So far, no one, except Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, has paid funds for the company's operations, which, as Patria learns, will face bankruptcy if the necessary money is not provided soon.

- At this stage, the cities are financing the project. We all know that the election campaign started in May. State institutions have supported the candidacy, but the cities received the candidacy. We have done a lot, talked with managers, winter sports federations that will participate in the organization. But, given that we officially started working in March, we have done most of the work that people don't see, but a lot of work has been done for the European Olympic Committee and the EYOF Organizing Committee – says Avdić.

It is already being openly discussed in Sarajevo that BiH could be left without the organization, or be the first country to lose its license to organize EYOF, but Avdić believes that this will not happen.

Given that he himself stated that they will wait for the formation of the government after the General Elections, which could take time, the doubts are nevertheless justified.

- Generally, all instructions have been followed, but unfortunately, we have to wait for the elections, the formation of the government, and I think we are objectively not late in anything. There are venues, there are locations, and people need to be involved, because the Olympics is not something that four or five people organize, so the broader social community needs to get involved – added Avdić.

He adds that he believes there are still good, healthy, smart, and serious people in this country who will not allow BiH to have its hosting license revoked.

- We have a serious circle of people, and I highly doubt that someone can say tomorrow that there are no funds. We wouldn't even get the organization of a marbles championship tomorrow – added Avdić.

Otherwise, this serious project of enormous importance for the development of tourism not only in Sarajevo and East Sarajevo, but in the entire BiH, has been entrusted to Deputy Mayor Ranko Čović in the Sarajevo City Administration.

Čović is a surgeon, an employee of the General Hospital "Abdulah Nakaš", whose director is Sebija Seka Izetbegović, and it is an open secret that he has reached the position of Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo precisely thanks to his boss, being politically anonymous.

Those more informed about the whole case say that this country, precisely because of such games by SDA and entrusting such an important project to Dr. Ranko Čović, who is not up to the task at all, will disgrace itself before the whole world.