With the screening of the documentary film “Courage and the result”, which tells about the first Croatian blind Paralympian Petar Bešlićtoday at 5 p.m. in the Cultural Center in Ulcinj, the third World Cup of Friendship begins, a traditional event that reunites and brings together the sports legends of the former Yugoslavia.
After the film, a panel discussion on the problems in Paralympism is planned, which will be led by a well-known Zagreb actor and producer Dejan Acimovićwith the participation of the presidents of the Paralympic associations of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro.
The cocktail was later planned at the “Cesarica” restaurant, on the “Teuta” boulevard.
This is how the first day of the Mundial will pass, dedicated to the Paralympics and the problems faced by athletes with disabilities. This is the novelty of the event, which was apostrophized by the initiator and main organizer, a businessman from Ulcinj, humanist and former basketball player and sports worker. Pavle Pajo Pepđonović.
This year’s Friendship World Cup will be held from October 20 to 23 and will be, as Pepđonović claims, more massive than the previous ones.
He previously told “Vijesta” that the World Cup will be held under the motto “We only need love”.
“We have expanded the World Cup to other sports, so we will have an Olympic village in the true sense of the word. We invited a lot of new people and most of them confirmed their arrival. We want to send a strong message from Ulcinj and Montenegro to the region, Europe and the whole world, a message of friendship, love and peace, because for those three days Ulcinj will be the capital of world sports”, said Pepđonović.
In addition to former football legends from the former Yugoslavia, this year Ulcinj will also gather famous water polo players, basketball players, coaches, volleyball players, wrestlers, rowers, chess players, football and water polo referees, sports journalists and workers, Paralympians…
“As the hosts, we have selected all sports as the Ulcinj representatives of the world. So in Ulcinj there will be a world water polo team, a soccer team, then a basketball team, a handball team… Because that’s what they really are,” said Pepđonović.
On the second day of the event, on Monday morning at 10 a.m., a press conference will be held in the “Palace of Venice” in the Old Town on the occasion of the Montenegrin premiere of the film “It Happened”, directed by Zagreb director Dejan Aćimović, about the trophy-winning water polo coach and selector. Ratko Rudić. On this occasion, a large part of the water polo team that won gold at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will gather. It was announced that apart from Aćimović and Rudić, they will also speak Igor Milanović i Dragan Andric.
The opening ceremony and presentation of all national teams and World Cup participants will be held at noon at Pristan, and at 6 p.m. in the Cultural Center, a film about Rudić will be shown. After that, the organizers will prepare a festive dinner and get together with all the participants of the World Cup in the “Primavera” restaurant.
On the third day of the Mundial, a gathering of Mundial participants is planned in the Old Town at 11 a.m. in the “Venice Palace”, with the serving of traditional Ulcinj dishes and drinks. After that, a tour of the Museum and the ancient fortress will be organized.
At 5:00 p.m., a panel discussion of sports legends and heroes who marked the history of world sports is planned.
An hour later, a documentary film by a Bosnian sports journalist and producer will be shown at the Cultural Center Muhamed Bikić “Olympics in Sarajevo”.
After that, a festive dinner will be organized with an entertainment program in the “Primavera” restaurant.
The organization will be helped by businessmen, hoteliers, restaurateurs, citizens, but also the Municipality of Ulcinj, TO Ulcinj, schools, public companies, religious organizations, local clubs, parking lots will be free…
“Some of the guests will arrive by plane to Tirana, Podgorica or Dubrovnik… You have to go for them, but that’s not a problem either. We have a Viber group of about 80 members and we solve all problems very quickly. It is important to note that no request for help was sent to these people, they offered everything on their own initiative. That’s why I say – I may be on the front line, but I couldn’t do anything without my fellow citizens and the whole city. This is some positive, good energy, which is why the World Cup is more than just a manifestation. We should be happy and proud, and the world sports ambassadors from Ulcinj should bring back good memories. It is the best promotion for Ulcinj and Montenegro, and that is what we need and must protect,” said Pepđonović.
He pointed out that the interest of the media from all the countries of the region is greater than last year.
He reminded that the tourist season has passed and that most private and hotel facilities are closed.
“But people come forward on their own initiative, they want to be a part of it and that’s what carries me through all of this. They offer their accommodation for free with food, and the guests will be there for three days and should be given all the attention, but that is not a problem for us either”.
Ideal for tourism promotion
TO Ulcinj announced that they will support this year’s Friendship World Cup as well as the previous two.
“One of the events in the series that we will support is the Ulcinj World Cup of Friendship as a unique event in the region created as an idea of several enthusiasts and sports fanatics and at the initiative of our fellow citizen and distinguished businessman Pavle Pepđonović, who started this whole story, using his contacts created during many years of active sports. The wish was to gather the sports stars of the former country in a small Montenegrin town on the Adriatic coast, and it became a movement that has enjoyed respect in the entire region for two years in a row,” the director of TO told “Vijesta” Ćazim Hodžić.
He expressed his great satisfaction that more than 300 current and former football aces, distinguished sports workers, coaches and sports journalists have so far confirmed their participation in the event, so he expects that on those days the city of Ulcinj will host a real spectacle and be in the center of attention for sporting events in the region. and beyond. He added that it is a manifestation that inherits the values of togetherness, friendship, sports achievements, and the positive impressions of all participants were transmitted from one city to another, including all the countries of the region.
“Certainly, this year the Mundial will be organized on a larger scale and we expect not only a large number of people from Montenegro but from all other countries, because it is truly something extraordinary that we can meet such a large number of sports legends in one place and something that is organized only in Ulcinj. I believe that Ulcinj and all our fellow citizens will once again prove that tradition, hospitality, kindness and tourism are in the first place and that we will certainly be the number one topic that will be reported on by all the media”, said Hodžić.
He said that TO sees this event as an ideal opportunity to promote the tourist offer, but also as a prelude to what awaits them in the next summer season.
The Balkan tree of peace – a message to the region
In addition to the promotion of the Paralympics, the participants will plant a tree of peace and thus send a strong message to the region and Europe, since the event is held under the motto “We only need love”.
On Tuesday, the third day of the Mundial, at 2 p.m., a ceremony will be held to plant a tree in Ulcinj symbolically called the “Balkan tree of peace”. The tree will be planted on the green area next to the new staircase that connects Pristan and the former Hotel Galeb.
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Source: www.vijesti.me
