ANS (National Agency for Sport) has launched the European Week of Sport

Sport has a new dedicated week. Officially, but also informally, ideally, sports should be practiced more often and by as many people as possible. The National Agency for Sport has launched the 2023 edition of the European Week of Sport, which will take place in several cities in the country from September 23rd to September 30th. Gabriel Toncean, Vice President of the National Agency for Sport, stated that the "Be Active - European Week of Sport" project can be a step towards normalcy in Romania, one of the countries with the fewest sports practitioners in the European Union: "We are delighted to announce the launch of this edition of the European Week of Sport. This is extremely important because, as we all know, Romania is the country with the fewest practitioners of high-performance sports and at the same time the country where only 6% of the population regularly practices a sport. This 'Be Active' project can be an important step towards a normalcy that we want the National Agency for Sport to be part of." Bogdan Constantin Matei, President of the Youth and Sports Committee of the Romanian Senate, also expressed hope that the European Week of Sport would attract as many children as possible to sports: "This 'Be Active' program is a tradition in Romania, and I congratulate the National Agency for Sport for this. I am convinced that together we will succeed in attracting as many children as possible to sports, and I hope that many of us will discover the joy of exercising independently. We are today in the midst of so many champions who have made us, Romanians, smile because they are the ones who have represented Romania with honor. Because if we talk about proper representation abroad, only sports can do it." Adeline Dan, State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister of Romania, also mentioned: "We all know how important sports are, both for children and for all of us. We are aware that the percentage of children who are sedentary or at risk of obesity has started to rise in Romania, which is why I would like us to succeed together, the government, local authorities, NGOs, federations, in attracting children and young people to sports. I would like to remind everyone that the Romanian government supports and will continue to support sports activities, athletes, and sports in general." Olympic and world gymnastics champion Andreea Răducan, in her speech, emphasized the importance of children understanding the importance of sports for health, not necessarily at a high-performance level: "For me, it's a joy every time there is a sports event, and I want to be present. It's a kind of moral duty, to share the message of being as active as possible. Especially since this campaign is called 'Be Active.' I've noticed in recent years that the word 'performance' in sports usually scares children and parents. However, we take this opportunity to tell them that no one is asking for performance, but we are simply conveying the message of being physically active, of doing sports, to take care of our health. We encourage everyone, both young and old, to do sports. You never know which one of them might become champions. In this somewhat delicate and complicated period for children and young people, with so much information about the consumption of banned substances and a lot of other problems, I say with conviction that sports can really be their salvation." The project, carried out in our country through a series of events that will mark the new campaign #BeActive of the European Union, promotes an active and healthy lifestyle and contributes to raising awareness of the importance of sports and active living for the health and well-being of communities. The event will be conducted in partnership with numerous public and private entities, with an estimated objective of a minimum of 100,000 direct and indirect participants nationwide. The European Week of Sport focuses on four themes to attract all categories of the public: Sport in Education, Sport at the Workplace, Outdoor Sport, and Sports Clubs and Fitness Centers. The European Week of Sport (SES) is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at promoting sports and physical activity across Europe, with the National Agency for Sport serving as the National Coordinator for the European Week of Sport 2022-2023.