Dear athletes,
Sonja Davidović
The Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports
within the Government of the Republika Srpska
I am highly honored to invite you to come to Banjaluka to relish the beauties of the city and the most beautiful river that flows through these areas – the Vrbas river.
In the past few years, wildwater canoeing has been in expansion in this region and I am confident that the 2019 ICF Juniors & U23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships, at which all the attractions of the sport will be presented, will contribute to popularization and promotion of it, as well as of the potential and natural beauties of the Vrbas and Banja luka. I am convinced that both sides will be mutually satisfied and savor the joys of invested efforts, which will result in extraordinary outcome.
On behalf of the Ministry of Family,Youth and Sports, I want to express my gratitude to all of the members of the International Canoe Federation, who contributed in making Banjaluka world's center of wildwater canoeingin those couple of days. Concurrently, on behalf of organizers, I welcome and wish luck to all the contestants and I believe they will achieve their best personal and team results right here, in our city.
Withal, dear athletes, I wish Banjaluka and the Vrbas river to remain in your most precious memory, to come again, be our dear guests and enjoy as tourists, not just as competitors. As organizers of the 2019 ICF Juniors & U23 Wildwater Canoeing World Championships, we have put our best efforts to ensure you the best possible conditions for the tournament, as well as your stay. I am sure that you will enjoy our hospitality and be the best promoters of our city and river all over the world.
I believe that, on this competition, you will make your dreams come true, for we, together with the members of ''Vrbas'' Canoe Club , have made great efforts to provide all the necessary conditions for it.
We send you kind regards with a message that Banjalukans await you with open hearts, for they know no other way.
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Basic information
Kayak Canoe Club “Vrbas” from Banjaluka has been a host for a long time and a successful organizer of the National and International canoe competitions in Slalom and Wildwater canoeing disciplines, of which we mark:
- 2011 ECA SLALOM JUNIORS & U23 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS- 2012 ICF WILDWATER CANOEING WORLD CUP FINAL
- 2013 ICF WILDWATER CANOEING WORLD CUP 1 & 2
- 2014 ECA WILDWATER CANOEING JUNIORS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 2015 ECA WILDWATER CANOEING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 2016 ICF WILDWATER CANOEING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- 2018 ICF WILDWATER CANOEING WORLD CUP 1 & 2
We have a natural course in a canyon of the Vrbas river which is equipped with the most modern lighting for night races and platforms which can accept about 1500 spectators and there is our plan to widen our platform and increase capacities o f sitting places on the course.
There is a regulation hydropowerplant, 15 kilometers far, with which we have a great co-operation and this way an excellent control of water level on the competition course.
The canoe course is by the Road M16 Banjaluka-Jajce and it is about 12 kilometers far from Banjaluka. In the period of the competitions, with the co-operation of the city authorities, it is closed and it will be used the round road Banjaluka-Cadjavica-Mrkonjic Grad.
