Yesterday saw the opening of the Slovenian Olympic Educational Center in the Crystal Palace. The Slovenian Olympic Educational Center, which is also a museum of the history of Slovenian Olympism, relocated to the Crystal Palace from its former premises in the BTC City Business Tower, where it resided for the past 5 years, during which time it welcomed many eminent guests and hosted different events focused on the media, sports and education. Eminent guests gathered at the opening, including the Japanese Ambassador to Slovenia, His Excellency Mr Matsushimi Hiromichi, the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations Mr Bogdan Gabrovec, Damjan Kralj, M.Sc., CEO of the BTC company, and former Olympian Miroslav Cerar. The event was brightened up by the Slovenian Olympic Torch, which has been travelling across Slovenia with ambassador Urška Žolnir since May 3, spreading the Olympic spirit.

Upon the opening, the CEO of the BTC Company, Mr Damjan Kralj, M.Sc., said: “The BTC Company is a long-time partner of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, and the Slovenian Olympic Educational Center found its home years ago precisely in BTC City Ljubljana. We are very happy that the Olympic Movement has now got its new premises in the Crystal Palace, the tallest office building in Slovenia. We believe that this is the right location from which Olympism and the Slovenian Olympic sport can be promoted. I wish for the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Slovenian athletes and all of us who enjoy sports to find here inspiration for new Olympic dreams, as well as a place for new trophies won by our Olympians.”

The President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations, Mr Bogdan Gabrovec, added: “In 2016, we launched the Slovenian Olympic Educational Center on the ground floor of the BTC City Business Tower. As the years went by, it grew and expanded. We are very proud of our ‘Olympic museum’, as we like to call it. In the five years of its existence, it has hosted a number of interesting events, meetings and conferences, attended by many eminent guests from the world of sports, politics and entertainment. Together with the BTC Company, which is also one of the main sponsors of our umbrella sports organisation, we recognised the possibility of spreading Olympism and the Olympian spirit in a centre known for shopping and entertainment. I’m glad that our Olympic story is continuing five years later, at a location not far away from the previous one. I wish and hope that the new premises will provide the visitors with as much entertainment, fun, discovery and education as they did in the past couple of years.”

Support of Olympism is part of the BTC Company’s efforts pertaining to social responsibility and sustainable development, in the scope of which the company is supporting numerous athletes and sporting organisations. Through its support of Slovenian athletes, the BTC Company is helping to raise awareness of the importance of recreational sports and an active lifestyle, as well as strengthening the culture of sports in Slovenia.

The official opening was followed by two conferments of decorations. The Japanese Ambassador to Slovenia, His Excellency Mr Matsushimi Hiromichi, decorated the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations, Mr. Bogdan Gabrovec, with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contribution to the promotion of judo in Slovenia and sports exchanges between Japan and Slovenia. So far, only 4 Japanese state decorations of different orders have been conferred in Slovenia. The decoration of the President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations was followed by a special honour conferred on the Slovenian Olympian Miroslav Cerar. Peter Slapšak, the CEO of Elementum, which became the new bronze partner of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, awarded Miroslav Cerar a silver coin embossed with the logo of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations and an image of Miroslav Cerar on the pommel horse at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he won the Olympic gold medal.