Bakuriani to host 2025 European Winter Youth Olympic Festival
Bakuriani to host the 2025 European Winter Youth Olympic Festival. Bakuriani was officially awarded host status on November 26 at the 49th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC).
This decision was supported by all the delegates of the European Forum held in an online format, who heard the necessary information about Georgia’s application, and also saw a three-minute presentation video submitted by the GNOC ( Georgian National Olympic Committee). This historic moment was watched by the heads of the National Olympic Committee in the office of the Georgian National Olympic Committee. It was noted that from today begins a new and more responsible stage for the development of winter sports in our country.
It is time for energetic action, solving specific tasks, and making serious investments in winter sports. On July 30, 2019, the Extraordinary Session of the Executive Committee of the Georgian National Olympic Committee decided to officially apply to the European Olympic Committees (EOC) for the right to host the 17th Winter Olympics 2025.
Later, in February 2020, the EOC Evaluation Commission arrived in Georgia, whose members visited Borjomi and Bakuriani. On the first day of the visit, the evaluation committee had an official meeting with the Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, and the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. All government structures fully support the EYOF Winter 2025 project to introduce winter sports and tourism in Georgia.
The visit was organized at a very high level and we are deeply convinced that there is great potential in Georgia for a great festival in 2025. “After that, the Georgian side presented the package of documents envisaged by the protocol to the European Olympic Committees within the established timeframe and form. Since the spring, the working group set up with the GNOC has been in active communication with the Government of Georgia, the relevant EOC Office, as well as winter species federations, and local experts.
Our joint work produced good results – In 4 years, Georgia will host an important European Olympic Forum. Tbilisi’s candidacy for the Summer Youth Olympic Festival was successful for Georgia, and we were honored to host it in 2015.
“In 2015, we hosted the Summer Youth Olympic Festival at a high level, and the experience gained then will undoubtedly help us in 2025,” said Leri Khabelov, President of the National Olympic Committee of Georgia. This time we will have two main tasks:
On the one hand, we need to create the necessary modern infrastructure for winter sports, At the same time, we must thoroughly prepare our young people to fight for high sports goals, and we must take special responsibility for this.
Georgian National Olympic Committee.
