The Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, presented contracts for sports programs for people with disabilities and children with developmental difficulties for the City of Dubrovnik in 2024 to representatives of seven Dubrovnik sports clubs today.

According to the submitted programs, contracts totalling €96,442.00 were awarded to them, representing an increase of €32,000 compared to the previous year.

"Every year, we see an increasing number of interested clubs, and in this way, the City encourages clubs to work with people with disabilities and children with difficulties, thus involving them in club activities and participation in available competitions. By providing equal opportunities for everyone, as a society, we demonstrate our maturity. This is something we definitely need to continue building on. It is especially important to provide equal opportunities for children with special needs, allowing them to join a sport within their capabilities and achieve good and quality results," said Mayor Franković on this occasion.

This year, the following clubs applied with their programs to the public call: Dubrovnik Tennis Club, Dubrovnik Athletic Club, Dubrovnik Judo Club 1966, Jug Swimming Club, Libertas Table Tennis Club, Fortitudo Judo Club, and Shark Taekwon-do Club. The allocated funds co-finance activities such as training of professional staff, procurement of sports equipment, professional work, and competition programs for athletes with disabilities, as well as support for promising young athletes with disabilities.

It is worth reminding that the City of Dubrovnik was the first city in the Republic of Croatia to allocate a separate item in its budget for sports programs for people with disabilities, a commitment that has grown significantly since 2022.

Through co-financing such programs, the City of Dubrovnik aims to encourage the involvement of people with disabilities in sports and to influence the improvement of the quality of life of children and young people with disabilities by implementing sports training and competition programs in sports clubs.