The jubilee season of the largest amateur sports event in Europe has officially begun with the Coca-Cola Cup and the Zero Waste sports and educational project.

Plazma Sports Games for Youth, the largest amateur sports event in Europe, launched their milestone 30th season in Velika Gorica with the sports and educational programme “Zero Waste – Be Part of the Game – Let’s Protect Our Planet” and the Coca-Cola Cup.

More than 1,200 children gathered at the Vladimir Bakarić Sports Hall to celebrate the start of the new season of the Plazma Sports Games for Youth. The event was attended by Josip Pavić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and envoy of Minister Tonči Glavina, Krešimir Ačkar, Mayor of Velika Gorica, as well as representatives of partners: Daniel Hrupek, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola Adria; Ana Ciglanečki, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Adria; Amela Čengić, Director of Marketing and Commercial Excellence at Coca-Cola HBC Croatia; Igor Dujić, Director of Corporate Communications at Telemach; Ivana Futivić, Marketing Communications and Promotion Coordinator at Croatian Post; and Slaven Marić, Advisor to the President of the Organising Committee of the Plazma Sports Games for Youth.

“The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is proud to be a partner of the Sports Games for Youth. We extend our sincere thanks to the organisers, as well as to all teachers, parents and coaches who guide and support children, and to the children themselves. We will continue to support this project in the years to come, as it represents the very best that sport can offer – completely free participation in sports activities for children,” said Josip Pavić.

Children from Velika Gorica have been achieving excellent results at the Games for years, and Mayor Krešimir Ačkar welcomed the participants, emphasising the importance of hosting the first event of the jubilee season in Velika Gorica and highlighting the added value of combining sport with environmental education.

The sports and educational project “Zero Waste – Be Part of the Game – Let’s Protect Our Planet” is being held for the fifth consecutive year and has become extremely popular among children thanks to its innovative approach to learning through sport. This year again, the project will be implemented across all counties in Croatia, in line with Coca-Cola’s “World Without Waste” initiative. Through play and sport, the Zero Waste programme creatively educates children and young people, encouraging them to adopt green habits in their everyday lives.

“It is our great pleasure that Coca-Cola in Croatia continues its partnership with the Plazma Sports Games for Youth, which for 30 years have encouraged children and young people to engage in sport, build togetherness and develop positive values. The Games are not just a competition – they are a powerful platform for promoting healthy lifestyles and responsibility towards the community. By connecting sport and sustainability, we believe we are helping to create more aware and responsible future generations,” said Ana Ciglanečki, Director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Adria.

Slaven Marić, Advisor to the President of the Organising Committee, highlighted that behind the Games stand 30 years of continuous organisation, 30 generations of children and more than 3.4 million participants who have grown up with sport, friendship and fair play. He also emphasised that thanks to partner support, the Games have remained completely free for all participants for three decades. “This year, we expect as many as 140,000 participants, making the jubilee 30th season the most extensive one to date, with the highest number of competitions, events and educational activities,” said Marić.

As part of the programme, a panel discussion titled “Velika Gorica – Youth, Our Green Future” was held, focusing on the importance of involving children and young people in environmental protection and responsible behaviour.

The event was also supported by Plazma Sports Games for Youth ambassador, tennis coach and former professional player Goran Ivanišević, as well as renowned handball players Vlado Šola, Jakov Gojun and Jakov Ljevar.

“I congratulate the organisers on 30 years of an incredible story that started in Split. I have supported the Games from the very beginning, and this is truly a ‘possible impossible’ story. Growing from nothing into a project that reaches so many children, partners and countries proves that everything is possible in life when you are surrounded by good people,” said Goran Ivanišević.

The sports programme continued with matches of the Coca-Cola Cup, the largest amateur football tournament in Europe. Teams in the U-15 category competed for a place in the county finals, joined by U-18 boys’ teams and U-15 girls’ teams. This year again, in cooperation with the UEFA Foundation for Children and UEFA President and Games Ambassador Aleksander Čeferin, special emphasis is placed on the inclusion of girls in football competitions.

From January to September, the Plazma Sports Games for Youth enable children and young people to participate completely free of charge in professionally organised sports competitions across numerous disciplines. Registration is open for all sports and available at igremladih.hr.