Ljubljana - President Borut Pahor has received the Jürgen Palm Award for his significant and long-term contribution to the field of international Sport for All and physical activity. The award is conferred every two years by the Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA).

Pahor on Wednesday received Ju-Ho Chang, TAFISA president, as well as members of the TAFISA board of directors and the honorary committee of the 27th TAFISA World Congress, which is taking place in Portorož between 8 and 12 June under the auspices of the Slovenian president.

Pahor thanked TAFISA for the award and the staff of the Slovenian Olympic Committee for recognising the importance of recreational sport for the community as the ongoing World Congress is dedicated to this, the president's office said.

He noted that Slovenia was the only country in Europe to honour sport with a national holiday, which was also highlighted by TAFISA in the award justification as the Slovenian Sports Day initiative had been promoted by Pahor, among others.

The president is "an athlete and believes strongly in the power of sport to change things for the better", the organisation said.

The contribution to sport by Chang and Vitor Pataco, the president of the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth, was also recognised.