Page 41 - Olympism in Socialism

In its programme declaration of September
17, 1944, the new Fatherland Front government
stated that sports should be popularized and
organised on a scientific basis. In 1945 a law on
the development of physical culture was adopted.
In 1952 the Politburo of the Central Committee of
the Bulgarian Communist Party issued a decree
calculated to improve the level of sports. This was
followed by a decree of the Council of Ministers
on the development of light athletics and
gymnastics, a new decree on the development of
wrestling (1969), and other measures. The
Bulgarian Union for Physical Culture and Sports,
established in 1957, is entrusted with the task of
providing assistance to all organizations and
departments in the management of sports and
working together with them for the popularization
of physical culture and sports among all age
groups and sections of the population.
Fitness and capacity for work have been
proclaimed as the most valuable national assets.
This is in fact the main purpose of the
development on a nation-wide basis of the
physical-culture movement.
Today physical culture and sports are part
and parcel of the life of the Bulgarian people. They
are inextricably linked with the development of
the economy, culture and life of the people and
help to keep them fit.
Millions of people participate in various
branches of sports: football, wrestling, light
athletics, volleyball, basketball, etc.

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