Bulgaria has become a center of social and adapted sports, hosting the historic first Balkan Football Championship for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The championship features representative teams from four countries – Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia. The contested matches are taking place on the territory of the Military Academy “Georgi S. Rakovski“, which once again fully supports the initiatives organized by the Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (FAFA).
In front of the Bulgarian National Radio, the president of the federation Slav Petkov expressed his strong satisfaction with the implementation of the tournament and emphasized its social and sporting value:
“I am glad that we managed to unite the Balkans. This championship is a precedent for Bulgaria, for sports and for football for people with intellectual disabilities. I hope that Turkey will join us next year. We are debutants and are not yet professionally involved in football. We will rely heavily on the Bulgarian Football Union for support and for the development of this sport. We are professionals in working with people with disabilities, but we are not professionals in football. Therefore, we will rely on their judgment and guidance. Victory is important, but more important is the relationship between these athletes. It is absolutely important for these people to be able to be active, to give them conditions for sports and conditions for their dreams.“
Our country is strengthening its position as a leading organizer of such large-scale events, after last June it gathered the world elite for the planetary championship for athletes with Down syndrome in five different disciplines.