The Ambassador of Italy in Sarajevo, Sarah Eti Castellani, at the headquarters of the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended on Thursday the official presentation of the Olympic team that will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Winter Olympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026. In addition to the athletes who will soon travel to Italy, the President of the Olympic Committee Izet Rađo and Secretary General Said Fazlagić attended the event.
As President Rađo pointed out, “We want to emphasize the strength, courage and talent of our Olympians, who regularly manage to represent our country at the Olympic Games, winter and summer, side by side with countries that have incomparably larger budgets. However, their dedication and big heart enable them to represent our country in the best possible way.” General Secretary Fazlagić announced that two skiers, Elvedina Muzaferija and Marko Šljivić, will be the bearers of the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the opening ceremony.
Ambassador Castellani presented the figures that make these Games an event of global proportions: 16 Olympic and 6 Paralympic disciplines in 18 host cities, which will make them the most territorially spread Olympic Games to date; more than 3,500 athletes from over 90 countries, 304 competitions, 195 medals and 18,000 volunteers; 1.4 million tickets, most of which have already been sold, and an expected global audience of almost three billion people.
The ambassador then shared some interesting facts about the two mascots of the Games, about the Olympic torch and its journey through the most beautiful places in Italy, referring also to the legacy of the Games in terms of infrastructure investments. She particularly emphasized the importance of the Resolution on the Olympic Truce, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, based on the text of the Government of Italy in coordination with the International Olympic Committee and the Milano-Cortina Foundation.
“Milano-Cortina 2026 does not belong only to Italy, but to everyone who believes in sport as a means of dialogue, respect and hope. I invite the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow the Games and support their athletes in this great global event,” Ambassador Castellani concluded. “We are deeply moved and we hope that, after the Games, we will be proud of Italy at least as much as you are even today, more than forty years later, proud of the Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo – one of the most unforgettable in history.”
