ISF WSC Handball Host City Skopje Gathers Sport Leaders at the Regional Sport Summit 2025
Sep. 11, Skopje, North Macedonia – As the host city of the upcoming ISF World School Handball Championship 2026, Skopje welcomed leading figures of the regional sports community yesterday at the Regional Sport Summit – Skopje 2025, positioning itself as a hub for dialogue and development in the sports sector.
The event gathered Ministers of Sport, federation leaders and experts from across the Balkans and neighbouring countries, such as Mr. Borko Ristovski, Sport Minister of N. Macedonia, Mr. Zoran Gajić, Minister of Sport of Serbia, Mr. Dragoslav Šćekić, Minister of Sports and Youth of Montenegro.
Among the distinguished participants was ISF President Željko Tanasković, who was invited to join high-level panel discussions.
ISF President Shares Global and Regional Perspectives
Drawing on his experience as both an Olympic medalist and leader of international and national sport institutions, ISF President Željko Tanasković shared insights on the twin pillars of management and investment as crucial drivers for the future of sport.
In his address, Tanasković highlighted:
“Sport today can only be successful when there is good management and smart investment. Without management, sport is improvisation. With management, sport becomes a sustainable and successful project. Sport is not a cost – it is the best investment in the future of society.”
He stressed the role of school sport as a foundation, emphasising ISF’s mission of involving millions of students worldwide in sport as a pathway to education, health, and social development.
President Tanasković took part in the panel session “Sport as a symbol of national identity, and a path to the future” and "Management and Investment in Sport". In this exchange, Tanasković underlined:
“Sport must not be a privilege, it should be available to everyone.”
Skopje Preparing to Host ISF World School Handball Championship 2026
The Summit comes at a pivotal moment for Skopje, which in April 2026 will host the ISF World School Handball Championship — the first ISF event ever organised by the Federation for School Sports of Macedonia.
Through the combination of hosting major international school sport competitions and organising regional knowledge-sharing forums, Skopje is rapidly strengthening its reputation on the international stage. The city’s commitment to investing in youth, upgrading sporting infrastructure, and engaging academic and institutional stakeholders demonstrates the long-term benefits of ISF event hosting.
As a result, Skopje is not only preparing to welcome the world’s young handball talents, but also building its profile as a city capable of leveraging school sport as a tool for education, development, and international recognition.
