Bosnia’s Olympic Committee honoured Sarajevo Mayor Abdulah Skaka for his role in refurbishing the Olympic Museum and organising the 2019 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival (EYOF) that will take place in Bosnia’s capital in 2019.

The special International Olympic Committee award, Olympism in Action, was handed to Skaka on Thursday during a ceremony at which judoka Larisa Ceric was honoured as Sportsperson of the Year.

“I am very honoured to receive this award, which I am sharing with Sarajevo’s citizens,” Skaka said.

He thanked Bosnia’s government, called the Council of Ministers, and the Sarajevo Cantonal Government for supporting the reconstruction.

“The Olympic Flame will once again burn in Sarajevo, to the pride of all of us, as an announcement for the new Sarajevo Olympics,” he said.

The Olympic Museum was almost entirely destroyed by the bombing during Bosnia’s 1992-95 war.

Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympic Games.