A New Chapter: Plazma Youth Sports Games Launch in North Macedonia

Plazma Youth Sports Games, the largest amateur sports event in Europe, officially opened a new chapter with a ceremonial launch in Skopje, marking the start of the project in North Macedonia. On February 27, a licensing agreement was signed — the first time the Games have expanded internationally under this model.

As an originally Croatian project, the Games will continue their mission in 2026 by transferring knowledge, organizational standards, and core values, while preserving the quality and identity of the initiative. More than 400,000 children across Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia will take part in completely free sports activities.

The official signing ceremony, held in partnership with the Government, the Ministry of Sport, and the School Sports Federation of North Macedonia, was attended by Hristijan Mickoski, Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia; Borko Ristovski, Minister of Sport of North Macedonia; Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia; Timčo Mucunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia; Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration; Elena Mickovska, President of the School Sports Federation of North Macedonia, Nives Tiganj, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Republic of North Macedonia; Michalis Rokas, Ambassador of the European Union to North Macedonia; and Zdravko Marić, President of the Plazma Youth Sports Games.

The Games also received strong support from YSG ambassadors, with distinguished athletes in attendance in Skopje, including Predrag Mijatović, Slaven Bilić, Željko Obradović, Šime Vrsaljko, and Johannes Hahn, former European Commissioner and President of the General Council of the Austrian National Bank.

The ceremony was further honored by numerous friends and supporters of the Games, including Aljoša Asanović, Veselin Vujović, Igor Angelovski, Petar Metličić, Emir Spahić, Stipe Pletikosa, Vlado Androić, Predrag Danilović, Nikola Vujčić, Goce Sedloski, Petar Krpan, Indira Kastratović, Pece Naumovski, and Tomica Glavchev.

Plazma Youth Sports Games in North Macedonia are also supported by Bambi, with an agreement signed with its General Director, Dragan Stajković. Strong support has further expanded cooperation with strategic partners from Coca-Cola through Pivara Skopje, whose General Director, Ognjen Lazić, signed a partnership agreement.

Founded in Split in 1996, Plazma Youth Sports Games have remained fully free for all children since their inception. Over the past three decades, more than 3,440,000 children and young people have participated.