ZAGREB, 27 March 2022 - The 23rd edition of the Pannonian Challenge extreme sports festival will take place in Osijek from 15 to 19 June and will bring together the best national and regional sportspeople, its organisers have said.

"The coronavirus pandemic is winding down, so the 23rd edition of the Pannonian Challenge could be strong again", festival director Jurica Barać said at a press conference, adding that the focus this year would be on accompanying cultural and musical events, which had not taken place in the last two years.

According to State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tomislav Družak, the Pannonian Challenge has outgrown Osijek and Croatia.

"New sports are being created today, and that's good for the development of sports on a global level because young people bring new ideas and extreme sports with cycling are today becoming much more attractive than classic sports," said Družak.

Asked about the funding provided by the Ministry for this project, Družak said that in the past three years, the Pannonian Challenge has received between HRK 300,000 to HRK 500,000.

Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anušić said that Osijek had become recognisable for this exceptional extreme sports festival.

"This isn't just a sporting event, it also has a tourist dimension because it will make Osijek visible in the whole Europe and the world, which is an added value of the Pannonian Challenge," said Anušić.

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The biggest extreme sports and music event in Croatia and Southeast Europe is included in the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) calendar, and in the new BMX category, riders will collect points for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. This is phenomenal news and the enormous success of several enthusiasts who have been working on this great festival since the first day, which will be held in Osijek this June, reports HRTurizam on February 16, 2019. 

The Jubilee 20th Pannonian Challenge will remain in memory as one of the greatest in its two decades of existence, as membership in the UCI federation brings a number of new opportunities for all contestants. The Pannonian Challenge has thus become the international category C1 contest, where BMX freestyle discipline participants will be able to collect points for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020.

This is a significant step for a festival launched by the enthusiastic group in an Osijek playground, and in the meantime, it has grown into a globally known gathering of extreme sports and urban culture.

"By joining the UCI federation, we have the opportunity to raise the whole event to a higher level. As many people already know, next year, BMXers and skaters will compete for the first time in Tokyo, and we are proud that the Pannonian Challenge will become part of the sport's history. Every year we come together in Osijek with a great team, and this June we expect the arrival of the best international riders and numerous teams. For now, we have already announced the arrival of teams from the UK, Russia, and Hungary, and the number of applicants is growing, which guarantees the biggest Pannonian Challenge so far,” said Jurica Barać, project manager of the Pannonian Challenge.

The Pannonian Challenge will be held this year in a skate park near the popular Osijek swimming area Copacabana, where from 5 to 9 June, competitions will kick off in skateboarding, BMX, inline, and scooter disciplines.

The festival even has a musical component! The festival will feature the best rock and electro names of the regional urban music scene.

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