VANINA MILANOVA PANELLIST AT THE EU SPORT FORUM

During the second day of the EU Sport Forum, EMCA’s President of the Assembly, Vanina Milanova, was asked to be a panelist together with André Seabra, Andreas Paulsen and Michael Omann. The panel concerned lifelong sport which is a concept the European Commission is promoting through active lifestyles to combat the sedentary crisis.

Vanina presented the Erasmus+ “FUNNY” project which was led by Levski Sport for All and implemented in collaboration with Panserraikos and Pontevecchio Bologna, all EMCA club members. Vanina explained, “In line with the topic of the EU Sports Forum today regarding lifelong sport and healthy lifestyles, our project was aimed at the promotion of regular school sporting activity for pre-adolescents aged between 7 and 12 in order to combat early sport abandonment, increase children’s socialization skills, combat juvenile violence and transmit, in general, good examples through sport.”

The President of EMCA Christina Tsiligkiri added, “Attending the EU Sport Forum, I had the honour of representing the European Multisport Club Association (EMCA) and participating in discussions focused on critical issues for sports and society within the European Union. One of the main topics explored was the connection of the European Union’s values with the Olympic Games, aiming to highlight the role of sports as a catalyst for promoting shared ideals and enhancing European identity. Additionally, we discussed the sustainability of sports facilities, focusing on the increasingly important use of technology to improve energy efficiency and resource conservation.

Finally, gender equality was a central topic of our discussions and was thoroughly examined. It is vital to fully integrate the principles of equality in all aspects of sports, from access and participation to recognition and rewards. Active promotion of gender equality in sports can help combat stereotypes and support substantive justice, strengthening sports as a field for everyone, regardless of gender.”