Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac has met in Zagreb with deaf athletes who achieved remarkable successes at the recent Winter Olympic Games and World Taekwondo Championships, her ministry said in a press release earlier this week.
In the two competitions, Croatian athletes won three gold medals and a silver. Matea Kolovrat and Petra Goleš won the world titles in taekwondo, while Zlatko Klarić, Branko Vujaković, Bogdan Božinović, Toni Vujčić and Goran Cechi took the Olympic gold in the team competition. Bogdan Božinović captured a silver in the individual competition.
"It was a great privilege for me to meet with our deaf athletes, who delight us every year with new successes, but also with the increasing involvement of deaf persons, especially children and young people, in sports activities," Brnjac said.
She highlighted the importance of promoting deaf sports and the support that the government provides to the Croatian Deaf Sports Association, which has received the status of an umbrella association under the new Sports Act. She noted that all deaf athletes have the same rights as all other athletes, including the right to national awards, permanent compensation for coaches and athletes, national scholarships and adequate conditions for training and competitions.
Brnjac pointed out that since 2016 allocations for the Croatian Deaf Sports Association have tripled, with €900,000 having been allocated for this year.
The Croatian Deaf Sports Association gathers some 300 athletes and about 60 clubs. Since the Association's establishment, Croatian deaf athletes have won 22 medals at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, 23 medals at the world championships and 50 medals at the European championships.
The most medals were won by the national handball team, who were Olympic and European champions five times and world champions three times. This year, deaf athletes are expected to take part in a number of major competitions, the most important being the world championships in judo, chess and athletics, and the European Taekwondo Championships.
(Hina)
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