Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Although we are experiencing a strange year and can expect to deal with the COVID-19 related problems for some time, there are also lots of positive things to takehopefrom. One of them is the 10th year of the European games for the disabled youth – the Emil Open, taking place in our city. Reaching double figuresshows that this event has found a home in the sporting calendar of Brno and that it has been a nice tradition growing stronger each year.
This year, I perceive the Emil Open as very symbolic. These games are a show of determination, fighting spirit and persistence. Each participating athlete faces problems every day that are completely foreign to healthy people. What we think of asnatural is an obstacle for them that needs to be overcome. We experienced a similar situation last year – things we thought were normal suddenly turned out to be difficult. Emil Open competitors teach us that in such a case, there is no other way than to just bite the bullet and go on.
I cannot forget about the sportingaspect of the whole event. This tournament is not primarily focusing on performance, yet we can look forward to what the talented and hard-working athletes will show. And you can bet they would rather break their backs than leave the victory to their rivals.
I wish both theparticipants and fans an amazing sporting experience.
Markéta Vaňková
Mayor of the City of Brno
