Students from twenty schools took part in a playful sports competition

Two hundred students from twenty schools in Debrecen took part in the competition. The aim is to get this age group moving as much as possible.

In connection with the Move, Debrecen! school programme, a two-day competition entitled “Move with St Stephen” was organised. On the 24th and 25th of October 2023, students in the seventh and eighth grades could take part in a playful competition.

The “Move Debrecen!” school programme was launched this school year and 45 institutions have already joined. The competition has further expanded the programme.

“We organise weekly, regular physical activity sessions in schools from the first to the sixth grade. We have put the seventh to eighth graders in a different category, and we want to get them moving with playful surprises,” Deputy Mayor of Debrecen Diána Széles said.

The competition also gave teams an insight into the faith of Greek Catholics.

“This is an opportunity not only for the students of our institutions, but also for all the inhabitants of the city and even the whole region. We are very grateful that we had the opportunity to provide this venue,” István Seszták, Deputy Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, said.

A total of 200 students from 20 primary schools in Debrecen are taking part in the “”Move with St. Stephen” competition.

“For 57 years, the St. Stephen Greek Catholic High School and Technical College (Szent László Görögkatolikus Gimnázium és Technikum) has been training health professionals for Debrecen and the region. With this event, we would like to draw attention to the importance of training health professionals,” Éva Hámori, head of the institution, said.

The Debrecen Institute of Primary Care and Health Promotion (Daefi) also carries out annual screening tests in this age group. In their experience, a sedentary lifestyle causes many problems.

“Currently, 58% of our children suffer from some mild, moderate or severe postural problems, or have flat feet or scoliosis. This is why physical activity is so necessary,”  Csaba Papp, Director of Daefi, pointed out. 

Several organisations joined the “Move Debrecen!” programme, including the Debrecen Sports Centre (Debreceni Sportcentrum) , the DVSC Handball Academy ( DVSC Kézilabda Akadémia) and the Mikepércs-based NGO Játékidő Sports Association (Játékidő Rekreációs Sportegyesület).

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu