The second year of the project will include 6 cities, 7 kindergartens, and 12 coaches who will work with more than 350 children in those cities.
The Handball Federation of Montenegro and the European Handball Federation (EHF) are proud to announce the continuation of a successful project that combines sports and creativity, encouraging the youngest to a healthy lifestyle and talent development.
The development of handball in kindergartens is a project jointly implemented by the EHF and the Handball Federation of Montenegro since March 2024 and aims to introduce children to handball, teach them about handball, and develop a love for handball from the youngest days, as handball is one of the most successful sports in our country. The project was institutionally supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation.
After a successful first year and a program that was implemented in Podgorica, Cetinje, and Nikšić with more than 200 children from 4 kindergartens aged 3 to 6 years, this year, the activities, in addition to the three mentioned cities will continue on the coast, i.e., in Bar, Tivat, and Ulcinj. In the second year of the project, we will therefore cover 6 cities and 7 kindergartens, and 12 of our coaches will work with more than 350 children in those municipalities.
In the previous cycle, the Handball Federation of Montenegro donated valuable equipment to all kindergartens participating in the project, which will be used by the children in the coming period.
The project combines theoretical and practical learning so children aged 3 to 6 have the opportunity to learn about handball through work with eminent coaches – current and former national team players and take the first steps in handball.
The President of the Handball Federation of Montenegro, Petar Kapisoda, emphasized the importance of sports in the development of children:
“Sports is not just a physical activity; this project helps us teach children values such as teamwork, discipline, and perseverance.” All this in a fun way for them, and it gives us the opportunity to popularise handball and recognise talents from the youngest age. Compared to last year, we have increased the number of cities in which we are present, as well as the activities we implement with children.
The federation is determined and persistent in its efforts to popularise one of the most successful sports in our country, and I believe that we can achieve a lot by working with the youngest. In this way, we also involve the wider community. I am sure that an exciting year awaits us and that these are just the beginnings of a project that is achieving great results,” said Kapisoda.
A special feature of the continuation of the project is the collaboration with CS Cassiopeia, which resulted in a unique rukoMEtić colouring book, which, along with other project activities, will encourage children to take up sports and develop creativity.
“After successful cooperation with the Montenegrin Olympic Committee and the Olympic Sports colouring book, we gladly accepted the challenge of creating a new colouring book through which we will combine handball, learning, and fun.” This unique colouring book was designed to bring handball closer to the youngest and encourage them to an active lifestyle through fun and educational activities,” said Adrijana Husić, Editor-in-chief of the Montenegrin Colouring Book.
“Through the illustrations created by Tanja Stevanović, we wanted to show various handball actions, the characters of players and players depicted as typical Montenegrin animals, as well as fans who are an indispensable part of handball matches. This is how the edition was born, where children will have the opportunity to colour scenes from matches while learning about the rules of the game, team spirit and fair play. This colouring book is not just a journey through an exciting game of handball; we also introduce children to typical animals that live in Montenegro – on land, in water and in the sky,” added Husić.
In addition to the special edition of the Montenegrin Colouring Book rukoMEtić, boys and girls from Podgorica, Cetinje, Nikšić, Bar, Tivat, and Ulcinj will also receive other editions of the Montenegrin Colouring Book as a gift, which further encourages their creative development and broadens their knowledge of Montenegro.
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The European Handball Federation, founded on November 17, 1991, represents the central handball organization in Europe and has 50 members and two affiliated federations. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, the EHF’s responsibilities include the organization and management of the most prestigious and competitive handball events at the world level, including the EHF Champions League and the EHF EURO.
The Handball Federation of Montenegro was founded on January 26, 1958, under the umbrella of the Handball Federation of Yugoslavia. After Montenegro regained its independence on May 21, 2006, the Handball Federation of Montenegro became a national sports federation under whose auspices national competitions are organized, and representative selections perform on the international stage. The Handball Federation of Montenegro became a full member of the European Handball Federation on July 10, 2006, at the session of the EHF Executive Committee in Prague. Since April 27, 2007, the Handball Federation of Montenegro has been a full member of the International Handball Federation (IHF) following the decision made in Madrid.
Author: rukometic.me
