ACES assigns titles in several categories, and Rijeka received the title as a medium-sized city with between 25,000 and 500,000 inhabitants. On behalf of the City of Rijeka, the title was received in Turin by deputy mayor Sandra Krpan, and Rijeka was awarded the title by Gian Francesco Lupatelli, founder of the ACES Europe organisation.

Rijeka is a university city, a city of knowledge and science, and also a city whose inhabitants are highly sports-oriented. Therefore, the sports infrastructure built in our city was realised with the intention of meeting the needs of Rijeka citizens, and many sports clubs and associations in our city and I believe that these values were recognised when we were awarded this title – said, among others, deputy mayor Krpan, thanking for the title and congratulating all the winners.

DEPUTY MAYOR SANDRA KRPAN WITH THE OFFICIAL FLAG

Namely, among others, the criteria for winning the title of European City of Sports are sports infrastructure, sports and recreational programmes intended for citizens, encouraging citizens to practice sports, and also experience in organising various competitions, organising clubs and funding.

The ceremony in Turin was also attended by members of the EU Parliament, Consul General of the Republic of Croatia in Milan Stjepan Ribić, representatives of UNESCO and representatives of the Rijeka Sports Federation Dorotea Pešić Bukovac and Slaviša Bradić.

Since its establishment in 1999, ACES Europe has sought to promote sport among all the citizens of the European Union, particularly among disadvantaged groups, children, the elderly and the disabled. Also, one of the goals of ACES Europe is to encourage the private and public sectors in order to increase support for sport.