The Croatian Olympic Committee Celebrates its 33rd "Birthday" with the Dražen Petrović Award Ceremony in Zagreb and Olympic Day Across the Country

The Croatian Olympic Committee was established by national sports federations from 26 Olympic sports and three sports associations. Provisional recognition of the Croatian Olympic Committee was granted on January 17, 1992, at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne (Switzerland), following an agreement between IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and four IOC Vice Presidents. With this decision, the IOC invited the Croatian Olympic Committee to participate with selected athletes in the 1992 XV Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France, and the XXV Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The Croatian Olympic Committee was granted full membership in the global Olympic family on September 24, 1993, at the 101st IOC session in Monaco.

To mark the 33rd anniversary of the Croatian Olympic Committee's founding, Croatian Olympic Day is being celebrated across the country. This widely accepted event promotes the importance of sports activity, the Olympic principles of excellence in every field, and the values of understanding, peace, and solidarity among people as key elements of Olympic action. Sports communities and associations, schools and educational institutions, kindergartens, local and regional governments, recreational sports societies, and others are participating in this celebration.

As part of the "birthday" celebration, the Croatian Olympic Committee will hold the 18th Dražen Petrović Award Ceremony on Tuesday (September 10), recognizing young athletes under 20 years of age and the most promising sports talents (under 16 years of age). The ceremony will take place at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb, starting at noon.

The Croatian Olympic Committee extends its best wishes on Croatian Olympic Day to all athletes, coaches, sports officials and workers, its members, and all other stakeholders in the sports system of our beloved country.