Youth Sport Games mark 30 years with nearly 500,000 qualifiers

The Plazma Youth Sport Games marked its 30th anniversary in Split, Croatia, after nearly half a million children took part in qualifying events across five countries. The Guardian reported that the week-long finals brought together young competitors in 10 sports, including football, chess and 3x3 basketball.

Participants qualified from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and North Macedonia, which joined the event for the first time this year. Ukrainian teams also attended as invited guests. Organisers describe the competition as both a sporting event and a social project, with teamwork and in-person interaction among its stated priorities.

The Games were founded by Zdravko Maric after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the war in Bosnia. His brother Slaven Maric, who has worked on the event since its early years, told the Guardian that its focus extends beyond results to young people spending time together. Organisers have also declined approaches from esports brands as they encourage children to put away their phones.

This year's anniversary program included a chess exhibition in which 20 young players faced grandmaster Nigel Short. Former French Open tennis champion Ana Ivanovic and former Burnley manager Sean Dyche were among the celebrity coaches assisting the children. The event has attracted ambassadors from sport and public life, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former Croatia player and manager Slaven Bilic.

Organisers are considering a wider international field after North Macedonia's debut and have held discussions with six more countries about joining in future. The Guardian reported that UEFA contributes funding, while Coca-Cola, Topps and Croatian telecommunications company Telemach are among the event's commercial partners.

The anniversary week ended on Friday night with an all-star football match. Claude Makelele, Pavel Nedved and Ibrahimovic were among the former players on the all-star side, while Dyche coached the Youth Sport Games team. The closing fixture followed a girls' mini-football final that Dyche highlighted during his visit, bringing the latest edition of the Split event to a football-focused conclusion.