NEWS

Prime Minister Pahor attends the Bloudek Prize award ceremony: "We are obliged to strive for Slovenians to remain a sporting nation"

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today attended the 2010 Bloudek Prize award ceremony where he addressed the participants and together with Miro Cerar awarded Bloudek Prizes. "These are the highest national sport awards in the Republic of Slovenia and have a wider dimension than other sports awards, since they also involve awards for an exceptional contribution to development of sport and honour lifetime achievements," Prime Minister Pahor emphasised in his opening words.

   

"The Slovenian sport is a success story in all areas – from great numbers of recreationalists, children and young people, who regularly engage in sports, to top sports results. Exercise and sport are the only serious alternatives to a passive-life style and health risks which such a life-style brings. For this reason, we should, also in the future, strive to provide an opportunity for the largest numbers of our citizens possible to be able to engage in sport, " added the Prime Minister.

   

He went on to say some words about Stanko Bloudek who made an indelible impression on the development of Slovenian sport. "Until present, he was the only Slovenian member of the International Olympic Committee and an influential member of the Ski Jumping Committee and the Sub-Committee for Jumping Hills within the International Ski Federation. He contributed a significant share for providing the material basis of the Slovenian sport. He excelled, in particular, in ski jumping development. In Planica, he built the first ski lift in Slovenia and designed and built the first giant ski jumping hill in the world. He built the first roller-skating rink in Slovenia and made many other contributions. He devoted all his life force to development of sport and physical culture and continuously invested his efforts in the promotion of the ethical component of sport".

   

Prime Minister Pahor noted that Mr Bloudek's dedication reminded us that we are obliged, also in the future, to strive to remain a sporting nation. "Our efforts in co-creation of conditions for the development of Slovenian sport as an important factor in the development of an individual and society will be focused on: providing a possibility for every one to actively participate in sport activities in safe and healthy environment; ensuring quality physical education and participation in out-of-school sports activities by all youth, so that sport will become a part of their healthy life-style; providing a possibility for improvement of personal sport achievements to every motivated and capable individual; development of sport's moral and ethical values, respect for human dignity and safety of everybody who is connected with sport; and in creation of stimulating environment for development of all types of sport activities and for all groups of population."

   

Mr Pahor concluded by congratulating the award winners saying that sport is "an activity which improves the quality of life and is, due to the results it brings, an important social phenomenon. Sport has an exceptional capacity of bringing people together and reaching everybody, irrespective of age or social status. Your successes in the highest level competitions and your dedication to work in the field of sport are an example which, in addition to the development of training and competitions surfaces, provide an important contribution to a comprehensive growth and quality development of sport in Slovenia. I would like to express my sincere thanks for your past achievements, congratulate you for them and wish you a lot of success in your future work."

   

This year, the winners of 2010 Bloudek Prizes are: alpine skier Tina Maze, judoist Lucija Polavder and boxer Dejan Zavec for their top international sport achievements, a former handball player Rolando Pušnik for his exceptional contribution to the development of sport in Slovenia and a chess player Milan Kneževič for his lifetime achievements and his exceptional contribution to the development of sport in Slovenia.