FCSOC Welcomes EOC Decision on 2019 European Games

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands; 28 January 2019:

The Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee (FCSOC) has welcomed the decision by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) to allow Faroese athletes to compete at the 2nd European Games in Minsk.

The decision by the EOC Executive Committee at its meeting on Friday ensures Faroese athletes can participate at EOC events, including this year’s European Games, in sports where Faroe Islands already has a recognised sport federation. This means Faroese athletes will be able to compete in archery, badminton, judo and table tennis in Minsk in June.

Jon Hestoy, Vice President of the Faroese Confederation of Sports and Olympic Committee, said:

"This is a really positive step forward and a huge relief for our athletes who have been putting their heart and soul into preparing to compete in their respective events at the European Games later this year.

"We believe this decision represents another milestone in our journey to becoming universally recognised by the international sport movement – including by the International Olympic Committee - which will have a profound impact on our athletes and the ongoing development of sport in the Faroe Islands."

Faroe Islands has been campaigning for Olympic recognition for over 40 years. It is recognised in its own right by eight International Federations: archery, badminton, football, handball, judo, swimming, table tennis and volleyball. Faroe Islands is also a founding member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and has competed in every Paralympic Summer Games since 1984.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

About the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands, which has a population of 51,000, has been a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948 and competes in the Olympic Games as Denmark. Located north-west of Scotland’s Shetland Islands and almost 1,000km from Denmark, the Faroe Islands has been campaigning for more than 40 years for Olympic recognition. The Faroese Confederation of Sports was established in 1939 and its Olympic Committee in 1982. Sport on the islands is 100% self-funded, including all anti-doping activities [no sport funding comes from Denmark]. 18,000 Faroese are members of sports clubs which is driven and overseen by the FCSOC.

For more information

Amelia Fisher-Starzynski

VERO Communications

Email: afisher-starzysnki@verocom.co.uk

Phone: +44 (0)207 812 6589 / +44 (0)7557 418 187

Follow the Faroese campaign for Olympic Recognition on Twitter: @FaroeOlympic

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