The Government supports Sarajevo joining the Winter Games bid

The Government of Catalonia supports Sarajevo joining the Olympic bid for the Winter Games and that a series of tests can be held in this city”.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
03 June 2022 Friday 04:29
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The Government supports Sarajevo joining the Winter Games bid

The Government of Catalonia supports Sarajevo joining the Olympic bid for the Winter Games and that a series of tests can be held in this city”. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Action, Victòria Alsina, after meeting in Bosnia with the Prime Minister of the Sarajevo canton, Edin Forto. As explained by the Ministry, the Bosnian leader has moved during the meeting that this possible candidacy "could relaunch a city that has experienced a long and traumatic post-war period."

This bet is part of the debate on the 2030 Games and the disagreement with Aragon. The Minister of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà, assured this morning that Catalonia could promote a candidacy with other countries – France, Italy or Bosnia-Herzegovina has pointed out – and the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) has begun to work along these lines.

From Sarajevo, Alsina has recalled the historical Olympic relationship between the city and Catalonia –Sarajevo hosted the winter games in 1984-, a relationship that began when the Balkan war broke out 30 years ago and then Barcelona hosted the Summer Games. A link that, according to her has stressed, allows us to continue "building an Olympic future together".

Sarajevo's candidacy as a sub-headquarters has been on the table before the differences between Aragon and Catalonia intensified to form a joint candidacy. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is committed to avoiding the construction of new infrastructures that will fall into disuse after the sports competitions and in this sense the eventual holding of the jumping and ice tunnel tests will be assessed. They are infrastructures that, in order to put them back into use, require a strong investment.

For the Government, this candidacy as sub-headquarters would allow strengthening relations between Catalonia and Sarajevo. The prime minister of the region has also stressed that it would also open the doors to an economic, tourist and cultural relaunch of the city.