On June 14^th, co-ordinators from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden met in Rovinj on invitation of the organizing committee
to “inspect” the sport and hotel accommodation in view of next year’s Summer European Company Sport Games. The visit consisted of an official reception at the town hall and of
a sport technical inspection and discussion.

Around 10 o’clock, mr. Giovanni Sponza, mayor of the city of Rovinj, welcomed the co-ordinators and representatives of the local authorities in the beautiful old town hall.
In his welcome speech he assured his guests that at the start of the games next year all minor and major problems will be solved and the necessary construction works will be terminated.

Afterwards, the party was driven by bus to several sport sites in Rovinj and Pula.
Some of them (basketball) will be equipped with a new artificial floor; others, such as the covered tennis hall, will be transformed into a volleyball arena. As for the football stadion,
it will be totally rebuild with 3 new pitches (1 artificial) and all necessary facilities.
For bowling, a major sport discipline amongst EFCS member countries, but not very popular in Croatia and only practised in the capital Zagreb, the town council has contracted a German company to build a temporary 12 lane bowling hall.

The sports accommodation in Pula (track and field, table tennis and handball), some 30km from Rovinj, looked very good.

Rovinj being a top holiday destination, has no shortage when it comes to hotel accommodation; all categories ranging from 5-star to camping sites are represented.
The co-ordinators visited Park Hotel and Hotel Eden (situated in the city centre) and
Hotel Istra on the Red Island, 3 super locations. Smaller guesthouses (apartments), i.e. Hotel Vila Lily and Hotel Baron Gautsch, are very charming. Holiday camps such as Amarin and Villas Rubin provide very comfortable 2 and 4 person bungalows, ample camping space and extensive sport facilities (among them tennis and beach volley courts).

The very original barbecue lunch on a small motor driven boat offered the EFCS party a seaview panorama of the old town of Rovinj.

The evening meeting in hotel Amarin assembling EFCS Sport Management, EFCS Rovinj Supervisor Reinhard Sitzler, the organizing committee, the co-ordinators and representatives of both the local tourist board and hotel agencies saw all questions answered.

The exquisite evening dinner in a very cosy typical Croatian restaurant concluded this interesting visit.

Harry Burghoorn

Chairman Sport Management