The nine-day programme in the Croatian capital has brought 30 boys and girls aged between 13 and 18 together from each nation, to raise awareness of a healthy lifestyle among young people.

The scheme is based on active participation in sport, and volunteering in sports organisations.

Workshops are being held on topics including improving softball and teamwork skills, ignoring bias and prejudice and gaining respect for others and their opinions.

One of the goals is to "try out and learn various forms of creative expression". 

This project will also provide an opportunity for the young athletes to extensively use a foreign language, so they can learn more about people from other cultures, as well as about themselves.

The Sports Xchange project is fully funded by EU money thanks to the Erasmus+ programme.

The EU also recently funded another softball development project in Malta.

The Għajnsielem Redcoats, a Maltese sports club established in 2012, secured a grant worth more than €58,000 ($62,300/£49,700) through the Erasmus+ programme for a project aimed at improving gender equality in sport, especially softball.

The project, called "Inclusion and Gender Equality Through Softball", brought together three softball clubs from Malta, The Netherlands and Croatia last month.

It involved the exchange of ideas relevant to gender equality in sport, and efforts to encourage youngsters to play softball and other sports.

Increasing sport participation among women and girls was a key aim.