The annual European Week of Sport begins today, 23 September, and runs until 30 September. The goal of the week, launched in 2015 and fully embraced across Europe and handball federations therein since, is to promote and help people lead better, healthier lifestyles. In 2019, 42 countries across the continent took part in 28,300 events with more than 15 million participants. 

In 2020, the focus of the week is on physical and mental health, while the official hashtag is #BeActive. The 2020 campaign was launched on Olympic Day, on 23 June, marking “an unprecedented effort to encourage Europeans to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, enrich their communities and empower themselves being active,” as stated on the European Commission website.  

Focusing on grassroots, the European Week of Sport 2020 will see a wide variety of celebrations and events across the continent. The European Commission coordinating body highlighted the fact that when the bulk of the continent found itself in an intense confinement period due to COVID-19, people became creative in finding ways to maintain or increase physical activity. “As our lives have changed, sport has offered a welcome release of pressure.”

Although the European Week of Sport always had a valuable message to share, concerning the fact that physical activity has been stagnating or declining across the continent, in 2020, for many people the importance of being active has increased with the global concentration on physical health due to the pandemic.  

As part of the week, the European Handball Federation have encouraged federations to participate in the European Open Week of Handball and will also hold a live digital workout on 25 September and host a #BeActive night on 26 September.  

“Our joint challenge is to maintain the new momentum for sport – any sport, anyhow – that grew over recent months. We have seen how doing sport can be a vital boost to the mind and body. We have learned that even in the toughest of circumstances, it is possible to #BeActive,” concludes the European Commission statement on the 2020 edition of the event.  

Visit the European Sports Week website for more information.