FIRST COMPETITION ON WHICH MONTENEGRIN ATHLETES WILL PARTICIPATE WITH THEIR OWN OLYMPIC SYMBOLS Montenegro on EYOF Young Montenegrin athletes (aged 14 to 17) will be able to participate in the forthcoming IX EYOF (European Youth Olympic Festival), to be held from 22. to 27. July in Belgrade. This was the decision of the Executive Board of the European Olympic Committee, brought several days ago in Riga (Latvia). Montenegro doesn't have precise participants list for Belgrade, but it is for sure that there will be representatives of every individual sports, besides gymnastics. There will be athletes competing in judo, athletics, cycling, tennis, table tennis and swimming. For participation in team sports we won't have participants, since qualifications for waterpolo, volleyball, basketball and handball were held earlier. This is the first participation of Montenegrin athletes in some sports event organised under the patronage of the Olympic Movement. Also, it has bigger significance since, on the General Assembly of the IOC to be held in Guatemala at the beginning of July, the Montenegrin Olympic Committe will become member of the International Olympic Committee. Thanks to intensive activities of the MOC, leading pepole of the EOC, first of all, the President Patrick Hickey, the Secretary General, Raffaele Pagnozz and the President of the EOC's EYOF Commission, Guido de Bondt, have recognised the importance of montenegrin sports and asspirations of spors workers to get involved in the Olympic family as soon as possible. The first European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) was held in 1991 under the name of the European Youth Olympic Days. The idea was launched by Jacques Rogge, at the time the President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), and today's President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Rogge's idea was supported by the EOC, and in 1991 Brussels was the first to host the potential Olympians in summer sports (athletics, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, swimming, table tennis, football, hockey, judo). The EYOF reflects a long existing idea about the need for European athletes to have their own multi-sport competition similar to those held on other continents (Asian Games, African Games, Pan-American Games). This year's Festival will gather more than 3.500 young people from all over the Europe. According to the number of participants, EYOF is the biggest sports event after the Olympic Games. For the first time it is being organised outside the borders of the European Union, and there will be also participants from Israel. The EYOF has already proved worthy with the results achieved so far, and the EYOF participants have gained reputation on the large Olympic scene. Over 80 EYOF participants, were the winners of the Olympic medals.
