Sport and recreation, as well as positive competition, play an important part in a healthy lifestyle. We are never too old to compete with our peers and become role models to our most often sleeping generation, as well as to all the younger generations that follow us rapidly. Our aim is to continue with promotion of "sport for all" regardless of age, gender or ethnic background. This also includes the upcoming 21st Balkan Veteran Athletics Championship in Domžale, Slovenia.

I have to admit that we like to praise ourselves with many national, European and World Champions or runner ups in different sports disciplines. All these are covered by more than seventy sports clubs in our town. In 2007, Domžale became the most successful sports town in the country and in 2008 the only Slovenian town that obtained both titles, The national basketball champions and The national football champions. That doesn't conclude Domžale's successful sports story though, as we also have the world's top biathlon athletes, sports dancers, chess players and other athletes. We would like to see this list of sports achievements to be enriched with the results of successful veteran athletes.

It is my pleasure to host veteran athletes from the Balkan area in our town. Additionaly, I am happy to see such a variety of cultures, traditions and experiences, that have not so long ago strongly intertvined with each other and now unfortunately drift apart from eachoter, at one spot.

I welcome you to the 21st Balkan Championships of Veteran Athletics in Domžale and sincerely wish you all to achieve your set goals and feel comfortable among us. Above all, I would kindly ask you to spread your sports way of lifestyle among all the generations  and thus contribute to a healthier and more sociable lifestyle.

Toni Dragar
Mayor of Domžale