European non-profit organisation ACES Europe has awarded Umag the prestigious title of European City of Sport in 2018 in the small cities category. This title means Umag has been recognised as a town that lives and breathes sport, thanks to its numerous sports associations and events, well-developed infrastructure and ambitious future plans.
55 sports associations and 24 sports
This town with 13,000 residents features a surprising 55 sports associations representing 24 different sports – football, bocce, tennis, sports fishing, handball, sailing, karate, cycling, fitness, recreation, basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball, table tennis, pljočkanje, shooting sports, golf, skiing, kick-boxing, gymnastics, mountaineering, running, scuba diving, spearfishing, and horseback riding.
Umag’s sports associations are part of the Umag Sports Union, which takes care of the development of sports and participates in the most important local sports projects. One of these projects is the Sports and Leisure Fair, which includes numerous tournaments, competitions, professional lectures, and a sports and leisure equipment fair.
Well-developed sports infrastructure
Today, Umag has 3 sports halls, 80 tennis courts, 11 football pitches, 1 multi-purpose sports ground, 7 bocce courts, marked bike trails, an 18-hole golf course, a sports fishing plateau and two sailing plateaus.
Large sporting events
One season in Umag sees roughly 120 official handball matches, 100 football matches, 70 bocce matches and 50 volleyball matches, while a large number of tournaments and competitions are simultaneously held in other sports.
Some of the top sporting events in Umag include the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, the best-known Croatian tennis tournament, the Istria Granfondo cycling marathon, the 100 Miles of Istria ultra-trail race as a part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, and sport fishing competitions with a long tradition.