Page 40 - Olympism in Socialism

Bulgaria is a developing country with an upper-
middle-income economy, very high Human
Development Index; although it has the lowest
GDP per capita and joint-lowest Human
Development Index in the European Union.
Widespread corruption is a major socioeconomic
issue; Bulgaria ranked as the most corrupt
country in the European Union in 2018. The
country also faces a demographic crisis, with its
population shrinking annually since the late
1980s; it currently numbers roughly seven
million, down from a peak of nearly nine million
in 1988.

SPORTS IN BULGARIA
The beginnings of the physical culture
movement in Bulgaria go back over a hundred
years.
November 1978 marked its centennial. The
first organised sports events took place
immediately after Bulgaria’s liberation from five
centuries of foreign rule (1878). Bulgarian
sportsmen took part in the first Olympics in 1896
in Athens, though prior to World War II (1939-
1945) Bulgarian sports could hardly boast of any
special successes. The lack of any state support
whatsoever for the sports movement, the paucity
of equipment and outfit, and the absence of
coaches and training programmes prevented
enthusiastic young Bulgarian athletes from
excelling.

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