More than 1500 participants and spectators took part in the two major summer events – international street sports festivals in Visaginas (Lithuania) and Daugavpils (Latvia), which were organized in the framework of the Interreg V-A Latvia–Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020 project LLI-402 “Sports for Social Inclusion of At-risk Teenagers” (acronym „risk-free“).

The main aim of these events was to foster the social inclusion of at-risk children and youth among other young people with a promotion of street sports culture and active lifestyle in projects partners’ municipalities in Latgale region (Latvia) and in Ignalina and Visaginas (Lithuania).

First event – “Open Beach Sports Games” – was held on June 1, 2019 and gathered at-risk children and youth from Latvia and Lithuania in Visaginas (Lithuania). Participants of different age groups competed in such disciplines as beach volleyball, beach football and street basketball. Together with the winner of the Olympic silver medal in canoeing Jevgenijs Šuklins participants could try out and learn canoeing with a Dragon boat – impressive sports watercraft.

More than 1400 participants and spectators, among them at-risk children and youth from projects partners’ organizations, came together to Daugavpils (Latvia) on July 6, 2019 to participate at the international street culture festival – sports competition “Ghetto Games in Daugavpils!”.

Teams of different age groups participated in 3×3 street basketball and 3×3 street football tournaments. Moreover, participants had an opportunity to take part in individual disciplines – football “Panna 1vs1”, power and strength track, basketball shooting contest and “kick a football” competition. Street dance masterclasses were organized for participants to learn new dance moves for summer parties.

These international sports events brought together at-risk children and youth from Latvia and Lithuania to compete in various street sports disciplines and to show their strength, purposefulness and determination. Project LLI-402 “risk-free” summer events promoted street sports culture as a part of healthy lifestyle and one of the paradigms for social inclusion of at-risk children and youth.