Mr Arat, how are you feeling with just a few days to go before the start of the Games?

After so much work, together with the Polish organisers and the Polish Olympic Committee, we are almost ready! Yesterday, we hosted the first Chefs de Mission meeting in the Athletes’ Village. Now, we are only waiting for the athletes to arrive. Preparation is the difficult part. As organisers, we always feel better when the competition begins!

I am wishing everyone success, especially the teams. Kraków is a great city and I hope all the visitors will also be able to enjoy everything this beautiful region of Malopolska has to offer.

The build-up to these Games has been unlike any other. What have been some of the biggest challenges the organizers have faced?

At the start, in common with sports organisations around the world, the huge challenge we needed to overcome was the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, almost immediately after this issue started to go away, the war in Ukraine became a major challenge, since Poland is located just over the border and has welcomed 2 million refugees. Naturally, the situation has placed great demands on the Polish government. In spite of it all, they did not give up and the government, under the leadership of President Duda, has committed its full support to the Games.

It is thanks to this, and thanks also to the responsible model of these Games, which have not required any new venue construction, that we are able to start the competition in a few days’ time. I also want to recognize the importance of the volunteers. They are the backbone of these Games and I have really seen the strength of their commitment in the past few days.

In their short history, the European Games have built a pioneering reputation. What are some of the new elements we can expect with this edition?

One big thing is our new agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is broadcasting these Games in 50 countries, including 38 in Europe. This is an important milestone, which will greatly extend the reach of the European Games, alongside some exciting innovations in digital marketing.

We will also be welcoming the EOC Refugee Team for the first time here, with four athletes competing. And of course, very importantly, these Games will serve as a qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which will bring a lot of new focus.

We are also again bringing new sports – for example, padel, teqball, muaythai, kickboxing and rugby sevens, which has not been present before. This is very exciting. Very important for us also is to be hosting the European Esport Championship in Katowice as a side event of the Games, with 27 countries participating in a top-level continental competition.

We have to be innovative and the European Games give us this opportunity to promote sports that could become part of the Olympic programme in the future, following the example of basketball 3X3 in Baku 2015. It’s important for us to act as a bridge between the current and potential future Olympic sports and sport disciplines.

What do you expect to be the highlights of these Games?

First, I think the Opening Ceremony (on 21 June) will be very interesting. The finals of padel and teqball in the heart of the old town in Kraków will certainly also be an important highlight.

Of course, athletics in Silesia, with 48 nations competing across three divisions of the European Team Championship and many reigning Olympic, world and European champions on the start lists.

And I will also say the summer ski jumping in Zakopane, where we will have the Olympic champion from the Winter Games participating. The atmosphere in this venue is breathtaking. It’s something very impressive to have on the programme of the European Games.

I could also speak about fencing and shooting, or artistic swimming and diving, which will be staged in world-class existing venues in Poland. Then, you have opportunities to see the beautiful countryside of Malopolska with the events in mountain biking and BMX. Honestly, there are so many things that it’s difficult to pick just a few highlights! I can only say that this is going to be a truly interesting event.