The European Multisport Club Association (EMCA) proudly took part in the #BeInclusive EU Sport Awards 2025, held in Brussels, celebrating projects that promote inclusion through sport across Europe.
On May 6, 1875, the Hungarian Athletic Club – the country’s oldest multisport club – hosted Hungary’s very first outdoor sporting event.
At EMCA, we believe in turning knowledge into action and the recent expansion of the STAY e-learning platform into eight European languages is a perfect example of how our network makes that possible.
This development was driven by the interest and enthusiasm shown at the STAY Conference held during EMCA CONNECT, where we presented project outcomes to our full membership. The session sparked wide engagement, leading to several non-partner clubs volunteering to translate the course for use in their own communities.
Thanks to the collaboration of our members, the STAY e-learning is now available in:
These translations are more than just language—they reflect local context, terminology, and cultural relevance, making the course truly usable across Europe.
All content is hosted on EMCA Studia, our digital knowledge library. It ensures that the resources developed through the STAY project remain freely accessible to all EMCA members—and beyond. Any organisation working to prevent youth dropout in sport can benefit from what we’ve built together.
This effort is a true showcase of what EMCA stands for: collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and real support for grassroots sport development.
The European Multisport Club Association (EMCA) actively participated in the EU Sport Forum 2025, held on 10–11 April in Krakow, Poland.
With the assistance of EMCA and its wide-reaching network, a memorable international basketball encounter recently took place in Paris.
EMCA member NPC Rieti played a pivotal role in arranging a friendly basketball match for one of its affiliated clubs, NPC Colombia, as part of an ongoing exchange program focused on youth sports development and cross-cultural collaboration.
The NPC Colombia girls’ team, which travels to Europe several times a year, participates in training sessions and development programs under the guidance of NPC Rieti coaches. These visits aim to elevate both the individual and team skills of the athletes, helping them gain exposure to European basketball standards.
As part of this effort, a friendly match was organized in Paris against the Paris Université Club girls’ team. The game not only offered competitive experience to the Colombian players but also symbolized the strong bonds being fostered through EMCA’s network of cooperation.
This initiative forms part of a broader collaboration plan, with similar friendly games being prepared for the male NPC Colombia team in the near future, strengthening EMCA’s mission to unite communities through sport.
📸 Check out the photos from this inspiring encounter below.
20 March 2025, Costa Navarino (GRE) – IOC (International Olympic Committee) has a new President – Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe! First ever female president and first candidate from Africa in the history of IOC!
“At a time when our world is so divided, the Olympic Movement can help bridge gaps, build back trust and showcase the best of humanity”, she said.
EMCA congratulates the new IOC President and supports strongily her message of the importance that the Olympic and sport movement should play in the polarised and violent global political stage.
Regarding her past, Coventry went on to compete in five Olympic Games, winning seven medals, including two gold, making her Africa’s most decorated Olympian. But it was out of the pool where she made the biggest splash of all. On 20 March 2025, Coventry was elected the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee at the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece. At the age of 41, she became the first woman and first African chosen to lead the 131-year-old organisation.
Since its founding in 1894, the IOC had been headed by nine men – eight Europeans and one American. Coventry, only the second woman ever to run for the post, prevailed over six other candidates in the first round with 49 out of 97 votes. “It is a really powerful signal we are truly global and evolved into an organisation open to diversity,” she said.
Born on 16 September 1983 in Harare, Coventry learned to swim at age 2, taught by her mother and grandfather. She joined her first swimming club at 6 and quickly developed a competitive streak. Without indoor pools, she played other sports in winter, including field hockey, cross-country, and tennis, but swimming remained her passion.
Coventry’s big breakthrough came four years later in Athens, where she won three medals, including Zimbabwe’s first individual Olympic gold in the 200m backstroke. “Standing on the podium was quite surreal,” she said. “I was thinking back to when I was 9 years old. I was now nearly 21 and realised I had finally achieved my goal and my dream.”
Returning to Zimbabwe, she was met with a rapturous hero’s welcome, a powerful symbol at a time when the country was torn by internal strife. “Zimbabweans came out to thank me and say, ‘We’re so proud.’ It showed me how powerful sport can be to break down barriers and bring people together.”
It was a memory that shaped Coventry’s IOC presidential campaign, a message she shared in her presentation to members in January. “The transformative power of sport – that’s not just something I’ve said, but I’ve actually lived it and seen it. And I believe in it,” she said.
“The election of Kirsty Coventry as President of the International Olympic Committee marks a historic milestone not only for the Olympic Movement but for the entire global sports community. As the first woman and the first African to assume the IOC presidency, Coventry symbolizes the power of inclusion, progress, and hope.
Her personal journey – from the Olympic pools to the highest level of international sports leadership – is living proof that sport can transform lives, societies, and mindsets. EMCA firmly supports her vision of sport as a unifying force that bridges divides and strengthens social cohesion.
Having a woman in such a high-ranking leadership position sends a powerful message about the direction global sport must take: toward genuine equality, inclusion, and the recognition of women’s contributions at all levels. Kirsty Coventry’s election inspires and encourages new generations of women to actively pursue decision-making roles and stands as a beacon for all of us who believe in the transformative power of sport as a catalyst for social progress.”
The UN Headquarters in New York hosted a new conference devoted to sharing good practices and lessons learned from the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralymics on how to improve safety, security and service for major sporting events. The event was hosted by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of France to the UN. Another outcome was to foster a culture of security to protect sport from the scourge of terrorism and leveraging sport values for strengthening youth resiliency against violent ideologies.
Very interesting insights were provided by the representative of the 2022 World Cup organised in Qatar who shared vivid insight what the organisation of such a major sport event incorporates regarding modern security issues, including cyber attacks and terrorist threats from air and land. EMCA was represented with the Director for Development and Sustainability Bojan Mijatović.
On 8 March 2025, during the EMCA Connect event held in Piraeus, Athens, EMCA was proud to host the STAY! – Decreasing teenage dropout in sport project conference. The event brought together project partners and representatives from around 30 multisport clubs across Europe, all united by a shared goal: strengthening the role of sport in local communities and developing inclusive ways to keep young people engaged.
The STAY! project exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, collaborative initiatives that EMCA is proud to be part of. The conference served as an opportunity to showcase project results, exchange best practices, and discuss practical strategies to address teenage dropout from sports clubs across Europe.
STAY! was launched with a clear mission: to understand why teenagers are leaving sport and develop tangible solutions to help them stay involved. Throughout the project, partners focused on empowering coaches, offering young people new roles—such as volunteers, assistants, and peer mentors—and promoting supportive local policies to ensure long-term participation in sport.
In its initial phase, the project conducted thorough research, beginning with a desk research report that reviewed existing strategies and successful retention practices across Europe. These insights were deepened through focus groups with coaches, athletes, parents, and club staff, which explored the everyday barriers and needs of young people in sport. Based on this foundation, the project team developed an e-learning platform—a digital resource providing coaches and clubs with concrete tools to identify and respond to dropout risks.
The platform was presented during the conference and drew significant interest—with several clubs expressing their willingness to translate and adopt the material to their respective languages. This enthusiasm reflects both the platform’s practical value and the shared interest among members in creating lasting change.
Project partners shared how they had implemented these ideas locally:
Levski Sport for All (Bulgaria) organised focus groups and piloted a range of activities, including recreational karate camps, youth involvement in coaching and refereeing, volunteering at international tournaments, and youth-led media teams.
Fondazione S.S. Lazio 1900 (Italy) removed financial barriers to sport through a “One Year of Free Sport” initiative, collaborating with schools to provide free training and equipment across four sports disciplines.
Športna unija Slovenije (Slovenia) focused on non-competitive involvement through recreational training for girls and skill-development workshops on topics such as sports psychology, time management, nutrition, and injury prevention – building personal growth and long-term sport engagement.
HAŠK Mladost (Croatia) implemented a comprehensive programme where youth volunteered at events, created media content, participated in recreational sessions, joined a coaching development programme, and received academic support through workshops and tutoring.
TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Germany) activities included recruiting and training young referees, assisting with event organization for initiatives such as Kids karneval and Come together, and leading recreational training sessions involving both children and their parents. Youth were also involved in social media management, helping to create engaging content for the club’s channels.
These local activities clearly illustrated the flexibility of the STAY! model and how it can be adapted to meet the needs of young people in different cultural and sporting environments.
The conference sparked engaging discussions, with many clubs expressing a desire to apply similar approaches in their own organizations. In response, the project team announced the upcoming publication of a best practicals handbook, which will compile the most effective activities and lessons learned from across the project.
Supporting a shared vision for sport
As a network committed to promoting the social value of sport, EMCA is proud to be in the projects like STAY! that bring real, sustainable impact to the lives of young people. The success of this conference shows what can be achieved when clubs, partners, and communities come together to share knowledge and invest in inclusive sport models.
On Friday, March 7th, the European Multisports Club Association (EMCA) held its Elective General Assembly in Piraeus, Greece. The meeting gathered representatives from multi-sports clubs across Europe, who actively participated in the proceedings, emphasizing the democratic function of the Association.
Here are the photos from our Assembly:
The Elective Assembly of the European Multisport Club Association (EMCA), hosted at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF), was successfully concluded. The two-day Assembly featured both significant strategic discussions on the future of multisport in Europe and special activities that highlighted the strong connection between sports and culture.
The second day focused on discussing three major sports programs in which EMCA and its members participate:
Teq Games: An initiative promoting new sports and increasing participation in multisport events.
STAY Digitalization Project: A project aimed at digitizing sports processes, enhancing accessibility, and improving the organization of sports clubs through modern technologies.
Igiroot: An initiative focusing on the sustainability of sports organizations by strengthening their connection with local communities and environmental protection.
One of the highlights of the second day was the honorary award presented to Olympiacos S.F.P. by EMCA in recognition of the club’s 100-year history and its invaluable contribution to the development of multisport in Europe.
The day concluded with a unique cultural experience, as the delegates visited the Acropolis Museum, where they explored the remarkable exhibits of Greece’s cultural heritage. This visit emphasized the timeless connection between sports, culture, and history.
On the first day, the delegates had the opportunity to visit two iconic sports facilities of Olympiacos S.F.P.:
Karaiskakis Stadium, the historic home of the team.
Renti Training Center, where they were introduced to the club’s modern training facilities and its academy programs.
EMCA continues its dynamic efforts, strengthening collaboration among Europe’s multisport clubs and promoting initiatives that combine innovation, sustainability, and sports development on an international level.
