Location and general information
Access to Sport - 
Gender EqualityContext
The Youth Sports Games started in 1996 in Split, Croatia. The primary motive was to enable children to participate in organised sporting events and other free activities. The Youth Sports Games have become the largest amateur sports event for children and young people in Europe. More than 2 million children have competed in the 25 years since they began.
The games are held in three countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. Primary and secondary-school children compete in ten sports disciplines free of charge, and the most successful individuals and teams get to travel to Split to take part in the international finals.
In addition to the games, the association organises regular sports and recreational activities for children, to promote health, tolerance and ethical values. The association promotes a lifestyle based on understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play as an alternative to addiction and deviant behaviour.
Project content
Sport is used as a medium to connect with the participants aged 7–18 through tournaments held in over 300 cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. The Youth Sports Games promote a healthy lifestyle and help to increase the popularity of all ten sports (football, street basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis, chess, dodgeball and athletics), as well as educating the children about sustainability.
Objectives
In 2021, a total of 214,852 children took part. The objective for 2022 is to have 220,000 children compete: 80,000 in Croatia, 50,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 90,000 in Serbia, and for 30% of the participants to be girls. The association also aims to develop football tournaments for girls and to be a preferred choice for young girls aged 12–15 years.
Project activities
From January to August 2022, local tournaments will be held in the three countries, then national finals followed by the international finals in Split, Croatia. There will also be marketing activities, such as promotional campaigns, digital media activities, PR activities, live TV broadcasts and a TV show in each country.
Expected results
- Football tournaments with a total of 110,000 participants.
- 35 girls' football tournaments for a total of 11,000 young players aged 12–15.
- Tournaments in the nine other sports (street basketball, handball, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, table tennis, chess, dodgeball and athletics) with a total of 110,000 participants.
Partner
