KSI IS 60 YEARS OLD – ON THIS OCCASION WE HAVE STARTED JOINT SEEDLING PLANTING AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIC COOPERATION

KSI IS 60 YEARS OLD – ON THIS OCCASION WE HAVE STARTED JOINT SEEDLING PLANTING AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIC COOPERATION

In KSI, the Central Sports and Youth Association, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2024, many European, world and Olympic champion athletes have started their careers. On the occasion of this and its 60-year history, KSI and Climate Action have entered into a long-term strategic cooperation in the spirit of sport and sustainability.

Without wishing to be exhaustive: Márton Szivós, Tamás Kásás, Tibor Benedek, the current head coach of the men's water polo team, Zsolt Varga, Botond Storcz (kayak), Krisztián Berki (gymnastics) and last but not least Zsolt Erdei (boxing) grew up in the KSI system. The success of this work is indicated by the fact that KSI became the only association in the country that – through competitors transferred to other clubs – was able to win Olympic titles at every Olympics.

Those who feel like trying and getting to know themselves in a sport can choose from fifteen sports in the 14 sections of the Association. Nearly 1500 athletes regularly participate in training at KSI, from preschool children to adult competitors.

KSI has not only been performing in the sports field for 60 years, but it is also responsible for protecting our environment. On the occasion of this and its 60-year history, KSI and Climate Action entered into a long-term strategic cooperation, the first activity of which, as a relationship between sport and sustainability, 60 oak saplings were planted on March 19, 2024 in Füzér, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, as part of Climate Action's "LevegőLegelő" project. The event was attended by Péter Zsoldos, President of KSI, while Péter Laczkó, forestry technician, supervised the professional supervision of planting.

Ferenc Kónya, project manager of Climate Action's garland project, said that in addition to planting trees, several activities are expected within the framework of the partnership: "By planting 60 seedlings, we have laid the foundations for our common future. With the Management of KSI, we have developed a program within the framework of which we will reward the most talented and best performing athletes of the Association's sports every month, who will be presented with a seedling named after each of them, which will also be planted in Füzér. This is another way to help strengthen sport and sustainability."

Within the framework of Climate Action's "LevegőLegelő"s project in Füzér, 19,000 seedlings (oak, early and field maple and rowan) will be planted on an area of 3.26 ha. We are pleased that the Central Sports and Youth Association was the first to join the project, laying the foundation for communicating the importance of sustainability through sport, to which we attach great importance for our society.