A reception was held today at the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports for the members of the BiH delegation at the World Winter Games of the Special Olympics held in Turin, where they won 12 medals, three gold, eight silver and one bronze medal.

Minister Sanja Vlaisavljević conveyed words of warmest welcome and of heartiest congratulations for the achieved magnificent success to the national team members: Rasim Bajrić, Edna Šunjić, Sedina Brkić, Amina Halilović, Kenana Topalović, Mesud Kasum and Spomenko Martinović, led by the Executive Manager of the BiH Special Olympics, Kada Delić Selimović. The national team member Njegoš Mihajlović, plead earlier commitment, but the coaches of our national team members, Samir Halilović, Asim Topalović, Vedad Čengić and Bojan Vujinović, who out exceptional effort and love into preparing our competitors for the challenging races in Italy, also arrived tto the Ministry.

At the beginning, the BiH delegation was addressed by Minister Vlaisavljević, who had the opportunity to attend the Opening of the Special Olympics in Turin and to support our national team members:

“I want to say, not as a courtesy, not as a politician, not as a minister, but as a person who was with you at the Olympics, that I am truly happy! You have represented Bosnia and Herzegovina in the most beautiful, dignified way. You are a proof that this country has great people who can show a lot. We are thinking of you, we appreciate what you are doing, your successes are just like our own, and I promise you that, while I am leading this Ministry, you will be supported, because you have shown what it means to come to the Olympics and win these medals, and that should be rewarded. I also want to express my admiration for your and our Kada and your coaches who have truly put a lot of effort. In this Ministry, you will have a family that will watch over you,” said Minister Vlaisavljević.

The BiH delegation was also addressed by the Assistant Minister for Sports, Adnan Džindo. He pointed out that this major sport event helped the entire Ministry delegation in Turin, he was a member of, to understand how much this team truly contributed to the development of sports. He particularly pointed out to systematic solutions for the improvement of sports that the Ministry had initiated in the past period, including in the case of the Special Olympics: “The Ministry initiated a Draft Law on the Financial Support of Athletes, where we recognized your results and we incorporated an addendum that would recognize the Special Olympics in the future. This means that every result of yours would be recognized in the future just like of all other athletes and you will have support in the form of an annual fee that you will receive for your entire life. I am sure that this systemic solution will to see the light of the day in the coming period” said Džindo and continued:

“When it comes to support for the Special Olympics, there is another extremely important thing. Last year, the Ministry recognised the Special Olympics in its budget, in the spending programme, together with the Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and we will do the same this year. Through this support, I believe we will help the Special Olympics team,” said Džindo.

Kada Delić Selimović, Executive Manager of Special Olympics BiH, was emotional when addressing the audience: “I must emphasize again, as I did last year when we signed the Protocol on Cooperation with the Ministry, that I was genuinely surprised by the reception, because we came to a house that was truly ours. The Ministry recognized us in such a way that the doors were opened to all our athletes, and that means a lot to us. I often say that my performances at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996 are no more valuable than the results of the Special Olympics national team,” said Delić Selimović.

All the national team members and coaches also addressed the audience, sharing their impressions from Turin and the unique experience they had, having received, thanks to their enormous effort, the opportunity to compete with athletes from 101 countries.

With the promise that the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports will continue to systematically work on supporting the Special Olympics, because their successes are not only sporting, but also a message about the power of inclusion and equal opportunities for all athletes, the gathering at the Ministry continued in a nice atmosphere and friendly conversations.