Borgmesteren i Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq satte den store håndboldturnering i Nuuk i gang med en åbningstale. Læs den her.
A warm welcome to Greenland – and a deep, sincere welcome to the Pan American Championships here in our Arctic Capital, Nuuk.
This is truly an extraordinary week for all of us, and it is very special for us in Nuuk to welcome visitors from so many different and unique countries; I hope that you will find Nuuk and Greenland equally unique during your visit up here surrounded by the Arctic sea and the enormous Greenlandic icecap.
The Greenlandic name for Greenland is Inuit Nunaat which means Land of the inuits or Land of the people, and for us – the people of Greenland – this place is the most amazing and beautiful place on earth. We truly love our fresh icy air, the chilling winds, the deep glittery waters and the spirits of the Arctic’s. I hope that you will love it too, and I hope you will feel the spirits of Greenland reaching out for you in this week, which hopefully will be a week for you to remember for life; not just because of the many challenging games and the excitement on the court, but likewise because of all the events and life outside the arena.
Nevertheless I know that this tournament is much more than just fun and finding new friends. We will experience handball at a very high international level and the top three teams at PANAM qualify directly for the World Cup in handball. In other words; ‘there is a lot at stake’, and that’s what makes this tournament so special. That’s what makes me so full of excitement.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Pan-American Team Handball Federation to give Nuuk the opportunity to host this year’s championships. Hopefully both you and all the participants will find that a tournament in Nuuk was an excellent choice. I will likewise thank the many volunteers, referees and officials who made this tournament in Nuuk possible – to you, my warmest thoughts and thanks for making PANAM in Nuuk come true. Without you we would not have been here today.
Thank you.
I hope for you to have one of the best weeks of your life – and to our guest I would like to say: You are always welcome back in Greenland if you one day should feel like visiting this magical arctic place on earth once again.
In Greenland we welcome both new and old friends saying Tikilluaritsi and on this special day I would like to add – Welcome, Bienvenidos, Bem-vindos – to the Pan American Championships 2018 and welcome to an amazing week of great handball.