The Children and Youth Sports Council, which was appointed by Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac, on Tuesday held its first session.
The Council is tasked with proposing measures and activities to advance the physical and sport literacy of children and youth, increase the number of children practicing sports, creating habits for an active life style and a life-long practicing of sports, and achieving the prerequisites for recognising and developing talented athletes.
A project for the promotion of sports and the activities of the Croatian School Sport Federation, through which the ministry finances the sport activities of children, was presented at the session.
According to the Federation's data, 250,000 children are engaged in sports through its programmes and those of county school sport associations.
Surveys conducted by Eurobarometer, the ministry and the Croatian Institute of Public Health show that 40% of Croatia's population don't practice any physical activity and that 35% of children and 65% of adults are obese.
The government has proved, with a series of activities in the last seven years, how much attention it pays to sports, Brnjac said, adding that investment in sports has quadrupled since 2016 and that it will amount to over €110 million this year.
A strategic framework has been created and the new Sports Act entered into force last year, envisaging the establishment of the Children and Youth Sports Council, she added.
(Hina
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