The
annual General Assembly of the European Multisport club Association (EMCA) was
held with great success in Brussels yesterday evening. The Olympiacos
delegation impressed with its presence for another time.
The
meeting started with the President of the Association Vanina Milanova and the
General Secretary Federico Eichberg welcoming the participants and introducing
the new members. Moreover, the participants reviewed the 6 programs that took
place during 2017 and discussed some issues and questions that arose from them.
A special reference was made to the 'You're Hope' project in which Olympiacos
is leader with the General Secretary of our club and Project Coordinator,
Christina Tsiligkiri, stating:
''In the
tonight meeting, we have the opportunity to make an introduction to
"You're Hope" project which aims at the social integration of
refugees through sport. From 2015, when the refugee crisis started, Olympiacos
was next to the refugees offering food and medicines. Three years later while
the problem continues to exist, Olympiacos leads at European level by
organizing sporting activities for refugees. This programme focuses mainly on
young children and their integration into Greek society through sport. ''
The
largest part of the meeting was dedicated to the discussion about the next
steps of the Association and the implementation of new programmes. The
Olympiacos delegation was particularly active by stating its support for the
remarkable ideas of other clubs as well as by submitting innovative proposals
for the implementation of a dual-career project, sport tourism and social
inclusion of people with mental retardation. These proposals have received
positive comments and the partners are expected to proceed with their
implementation in 2019-2020.
The meeting continues
in the premises of the European Commission, including sections about practical
issues during the preparation and implementation of Erasmus + sports projects.
The involvement of sports clubs and organizations is expected to be great by
giving a good chance for the development of more collaborations and
initiatives.