Sport and Business Building a Shared Future: The President at the Slovenia House in Cortina

At the event, former top athletes Ana Drev and Jure Košir and entrepreneur Mitja Koželj, Director of the Women’s Volleyball Club OTP Banka Branik Maribor, shared insights from their experiences.

Speaking at the event, the President congratulated Slovenian athletes on their achievements and emphasized that the Olympic Games are not merely a competition but “the world’s largest sporting event and a celebration of values that unite us: perseverance, fairness, camaraderie, and respect.” She highlighted that Slovenia is a sporting powerhouse in part because elite sports enjoy systemic support from the state.

President Pirc Musar also stressed the importance of caring for athletes’ futures after their sporting careers end. “Sport is only part of life. We must enable young athletes to receive quality education, acquire new skills, and create opportunities for success in other professions once their athletic careers are over,” she said, citing Ana Drev and Jure Košir as examples of successful transitions from sport to business.

She underlined the broader importance of connecting sport and the economy: “Without a strong and successful economy, there is no social welfare state. There is no public healthcare, no quality education, and no conditions for sporting development.”

During her visit, the President also watched several competitions featuring Slovenian athletes and met with children participating in the Botrstvo project, who were invited by the Olympic Committee of Slovenia and Slovenia House ambassador, former Olympic athlete Tina Maze, to attend Olympic events.