International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach recorded a video message that was broadcast during the recent Sports Teams in Schools event staged by the Albanian National Olympic Committee ©Albanian National Olympic Committee

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach recorded a video message that was broadcast during the recent Sports Teams in Schools event staged by the Albanian National Olympic Committee (NOC).

More than 10,000 young people took part in the Opening Ceremony of the project at the Air Albania Stadium in the capital of Tirana, with spectators including the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama.

The highlight of the evening was the parade of sports teams and the Olympic Oath of team representatives from 61 municipalities from all over Albania.

"As a true spectacle of Olympic values, the Ceremony brought to the public, sports demonstrations such as aerobics, taekwondo, children's performance in dance, gymnastics as well as artistic performance with folk costumes," the NOC said.

In his message, subtitled in Albanian, Bach emphasised the importance of the project for the sports movement in Albania.

More than 10,000 young people took part in the Opening Ceremony of the Sports Teams in Schools project at the Air Albania Stadium in the capital of Tirana, with spectators including the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama ©Albanian NOC
More than 10,000 young people took part in the Opening Ceremony of the Sports Teams in Schools project at the Air Albania Stadium in the capital of Tirana, with spectators including the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama ©Albanian NOC

Among the other dignitaries present were the Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Evis Kushi, the Minister of Children and Youth, Mrs. Bora Muzhaqi, Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund representative in Albania Roberto de Bernardi, and the President of NOC, Fidel Ylli.

The "Sports Teams in Schools" project has as its direct goal the implementation of a national programme that promotes mass sports, talent discovery, sports education, good health and Olympic principles.

The project is being implemented in junior and secondary schools and is being initially carried out in basketball and volleyball, with around 700 teams having been created.

This $5 million (£4 million/€4.7 million) project is being funded by the Albanian Government in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Sports and the State Ministry for Youth and Children.

The entire ceremony was broadcast live on the NOC TV channel "SPORTALB".