Valka municipality as the leading project partner together with project partners Smiltene and Valga municipalities is implementing the Estonia-Latvia program project "Together in sports” from 1st of August, 2023 till 30th of November, 2024, Nr. EE-LV00009.
The planned activities in the project include planning of joint athletics and shooting competitions, football, floorball and basketball tournaments, sports camps and experience exchange visits in order to get to know the other country's experience in organizing sports events and training processes as well as to strengthen the future cooperation of sports specialists of border municipalities in joint sports competitions and organizing tournaments.
The project was launched on 1st of August, 2023 but two project activities have already been implemented, which gave the opportunity for the sports specialists of the municipalities involved in the project to get to know each other and learn about the best experience of the other country in organizing sports events:
- In the period from 25th to 26th of August, 2023, coaches and trainees of the Valka Childrens and Youth Sports School, Smiltene Youth and Children Sports School and sports clubs of the Valga municipality participated in the first activity of the project "Experience exchange visit for coaches and trainees of sports schools/clubs" to Ventspils.
- In the period from October 17 to October 18, 2023, sports specialists of Valka region, Smiltene region and Valga municipality participated in the project activity "Experience exchange visit for sports specialists to Tartu, Otepi and Pärnu".
115 participants (sports specialists and trainees) took part in the experience exchange event in Ventspils, and 45 sports experts from all project partner municipalities took part in the experience exchange event in Tartu, Otepaa and Parnu.
On 16th of December, 2023, Christmas tournament "Together in floorball" took place in the sports hall of Valka Jānis Cimze Gymnasium.
In the period from 10th to 14th of March, 2024, the students of the Valka Childrens and Youth Sports School, Smiltene Youth and Children sports school and the football club of Valga municipality participated in the project activity - a camp for football players. The camp was held at the Kaariku sports base and 30 young footballers participated in it (10 from Valga, Estonia and 20 from Latvia).
Cooperation in the project has been successfully started, and this year work will continue on organizing football and basketball tournaments, shooting and athletics competitions, organizing camps for basketball players and athletes, as well as an experience exchange visit to Otepaa youth who practice shooting.
Project activities take place both in Latvia and Estonia, and the project coordinators and assistant coordinators of all three project partners Smiltene, Valka and Valga municipalities are actively involved in their organization.
The total budget of the project is EUR 87 500, including ERDF funding of EUR 70 000 or 80%, co-financing of project partners EUR 17 500 or 20%.
This publication reflects the opinion of the author.