Reviving the Olympic Spirit in Sarajevo: Bridging Ethnic Divides

By Daria Sito-Sucic

SARAJEVO (Reuters) – The Olympic spirit has returned to Sarajevo as Bosnian ethnic leaders have united to host the largest sporting event in the country since the 1984 Winter Olympics and the conflicts of the 1990s.

The Winter European Youth Olympic Festival is set to begin in Sarajevo on Sunday and will conclude a week later in East Sarajevo, a former Serb-dominated suburb that now functions as an independent city. This collaboration symbolizes a significant step towards reconciliation between two former adversaries whose boundaries were defined by wartime divisions.

Facilitating this cooperation proved to be a challenge. Sarajevo is part of the Bosniak-Croat Federation, while East Sarajevo falls under the Serb Republic. These two autonomous regions were established along ethnic lines during the 1992-95 war that claimed approximately 100,000 lives.

In 2017, the two cities missed the opportunity to host the multi-event games due to inadequate support from Bosnia’s various governments, despite winning the right to host in 2012. However, the enthusiasm of two young mayors who sought to position their cities as winter sports and tourist hubs allowed them to navigate the complexities of local politics and bring the youth winter festival to fruition.

"Was it easy? No. Have we faced obstacles? Yes, every day. But the end result is that the festival is happening, and we’ve managed to unite all levels of government, both cities, and their citizens around this project," said Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka, a 35-year-old Muslim Bosniak.

His counterpart, Mayor Nenad Vukovic of East Sarajevo, a 40-year-old Serb, expressed optimism, stating, "We are no longer in the trenches of the 1990s; we’ve moved past that. Leave politics aside, and we’ll work well together on projects that benefit both sports and tourism."

The event will be officially opened by Milorad Dodik, the chairman of Bosnia’s three-member inter-ethnic presidency, and will feature 1,700 young athletes competing in eight winter sports venues across both cities.

The Olympics hold a cherished place in the hearts of many Sarajevans, who fondly remember the 1984 Winter Games, the first ever held in a Communist country, then part of Yugoslavia.

"I hope that young people today experience the same feelings I had back then," said Sladjan Catic, 67, who worked at the media center during the 1984 Games.

The event is regarded as a stepping stone to the Olympics, often serving as a launching pad for many medalists who eventually compete on the grand stage. It provides young European athletes with an initial glimpse of an Olympic-style competition.

"I’ve always been curious about our parents’ experiences during the Olympics and wished to be part of it," remarked 17-year-old Emina Zolota, one of 1,000 volunteers working at the event.

"We cannot wait for delegations to arrive so we can showcase the beauty of Bosnia and demonstrate our unity."