Goran Dragić, a former Slovenian basketball player and winner of the Eurobasket, with a 15-year career in the NBA, was declared the ambassador of the Plasma Youth Sports Games at a solemn ceremony in Ljubljana.
Dragić thus supported the largest amateur sports event in Europe and became part of the large SIM family of ambassadors, among whom are Aleksander Čeferin, president of UEFA, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of PSG, and athletes Luka Modrić, Predrag Mijatović, Edin Džeko, Slaven Bilić, Nemanja Vidić, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Željko Obradović, and many others.
Through 30 years of activity, since its establishment, the youth sports games have gathered more than 3.4 million children and youth in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovenia, and from this year, North Macedonia joined as the fourth country.
The original founder and president of the Games, Zdravko Marić, thanked everyone who has supported the Games for years, especially partners and sponsors, and emphasized the importance of togetherness, the support of institutions and sports greats.
“As always, I have to thank a great friend of the Games, the best man in the world, Aleksander Čeferin, for his continuous support over the past seven years. I also thank the Mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Janković, Minister Matjaž Han and Prime Minister Robert Golob for recognizing the value of the Youth Sports Games and giving us strong support. From the very beginning of the Games in Slovenia, I am especially pleased that the children have recognized and accepted them. With the great team that works here, the Games grow year by year and progress, and this year we expect more than 70,000 children in Slovenia and more than 400,000 children in the 30th season of the Games at the level of all participating countries. Many thanks to the children who participate because they are our biggest motivation and the wind behind us to be even better. Thank you to all the athletes who support us, and especially to our new ambassador, Goran Dragić, who I believe will further motivate children and young people to engage in sports and adopt healthy lifestyles. habits”, emphasized Zdravko Marić, regional president of the Youth Sports Games.
Goran Dragić, the legendary basketball player and gold medalist with the national team at EuroBasket 2017, is now the ambassador of Plasma Youth Sports Games. With his rich experience with a fifteen-year career in the NBA league and sports authority, he will support the largest amateur sports event for children and youth in Europe.
Željko Obradović, the most decorated basketball coach and ambassador of Plasma Youth Sports Games, welcomed Goran Dragić to the SIM family of ambassadors. Dragić pointed out that his only regret in his rich career is that he never had the opportunity to play in the team led by Obradović and added:
“I traveled here, met a lot of people and that’s exactly what sport brings, it teaches you great values that we then try to pass on to young people. I think this project is really phenomenal because it connects our region. I’m really honored to be here today. Sport gave me everything. I come from a family where I learned that you should always give something back to society. I grew up here in Slovenia and I’m always happy to return home, to the most beautiful city in the world. It’s a great honor to be here with you today. I can promise one matter, I will try to continue this story together and to do something good for young and future generations”, said Dragić.
Tomislav Družak, envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Robert Golob, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Aleksander Čeferin, President of UEFA and Ambassador of the Games, Zoran Janković, Mayor of Ljubljana, Matjaž Han, Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Husein Memic, Minister of Tourism and Youth of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and ambassadors and friends of the Games: Goran Ivanišević, Veselin Vujović, Zlatko Zahović, Radoslav Rašo Nesterović, Predrag Danilović, Marijan Kustić, Radenko Mijatović, Senijad Ibričić, Sara Isaković, Brigita Bukovec, Andreja Alešić, Uroš Zorman, Boštjan Cesar, Milivoj Novaković, Kruno Simon, Vladimir Androić, Marko Simeunović and many others.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Robert Golob, greeted the attendees and emphasized:
“I am very honored to be here today, because I really believe in the nobility of this idea, this initiative and this organization, which today, I believe, exceeded many expectations. Much of what we all wished for together is being realized today and is spreading unstoppably. I am especially proud and happy to be with you today, because initiatives like this are more important in today’s world than ever. I am deeply grateful to you, Zdravko, for being the first to start this initiative, thanks to which young people today can socialize, just as we used to hang out when the world was different. To come together in a community, in mutual respect and friendship, not only through love for sport, but also through respect for each other. I would like this message not only to remain in this hall and to convey it not only to the young people who will participate in the Games in the future, but also to send it to the whole world.”
The program of the solemn ceremony was completed by the performances of the Slovenian vocal group Dinamitke and Tripaj feat. Nipke and Erik with the song Ena pika, druga pika, dedicated to Goran Dragić, and the live broadcast in nine countries was broadcast on televisions N1, Sportklub and Arena Sport.
Plazma Youth Sports Games provide children with completely free competition in 10 sports disciplines and will visit more than 50 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2026.
(Vijesti.ba)
