A delegation from the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Azerbaijan and the European Olympic Committees (EOC) has visited three preschools in Slovenia to promote the Olympic Culture and Education Programme (OCEP), during the European Youth Olympic Festival Maribor 2023.
As well as representatives from the NOC of Azerbaijan, the delegation included EOC Culture and Education Commission Chair Jean Michel Brun, EOC Culture and Education Commission Vice-Chair Clea Papaellina, and children from schools in Azerbaijan which are twinned with schools in Slovenia.
During the visit the Azerbaijani delegation organised entertaining games, cultural performances and a quiz on Olympic related subjects for the children, all in the promotion of the Olympic values. The hundreds of children from the preschools visited were also given various souvenirs form Azerbaijan making the experience even more memorable.
In return, the Slovenian children also gave performances for the visiting guests and awarded them with some gifts from Maribor.
EOC Culture and Education Commission Chair Jean Michel Brun said: “It was wonderful to see the children enjoying the OCEP activities led by the delegation from Azerbaijan. OCEP is a fantastic programme which our own European Young Olympic Ambassadors promote so well. The EYOFs are about far more than performance on the field of play. They are also an opportunity to learn about the Olympic values and bringing these values into our daily lives. By teaching the local community here about the Olympic values I hope we can inspire these young minds and leave a legacy of this festival with the children.
This is the third time after Baku 2019 and Banská Bystrica 2022 that OCEP supported by the European Young Ambassador Programme has been integrated into the EYOF’s social activities programme, introducing different sport blended cultural and educational activities.
Similar activations, as those delivered at the preschools, including presentations on culture and history of the Olympic Movement in both Azerbaijan and Slovenia have also been delivered to the athletes competing at the EYOF in the Athletes’ Villages.
