BULGARIA is hoping that a co-operation deal with Greece about next year's Olympic Games will yield spin-offs for this country.
Media controversy has dogged the preparations for the 2004 Games in Athens, particularly concerning issues like security and whether all the facilities will be ready on time, as well as doubts over whether the Greek capital's infrastructure will cope with the influx of teams and spectators. Whatever the outcome, Bulgaria hopes that the Games will have a supply-side effect in boosting the number of visitors to this country.
For Bulgaria, the run-up to the Games also means increased revenues for private business, and long-term investments in infrastructure, sports complexes and training facilities.
In the Sofia headquarters of Bulgaria's Ministry of Youth and Sports, a Bulgarian-Greek Info Centre Athens 2004 has been set up.
The centre is charged with promoting Bulgaria abroad, and recruiting volunteers to assist in its Olympic effort.
A 76-page catalogue has been compiled, including details of sports complexes in 17 cities and towns in Bulgaria, available for the recreation and training of sports people from around the world.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Vassil Ivanov, said that more than 10 000 athletes from countries with time zones that differ from that of Greece are to use Bulgarian facilities to train.
Greece and Bulgaria signed an agreement at the end of 2002 on co-operation regarding sports. This agreement is the basis for teams to be sent to Bulgaria for training.
The rowing facility in Plovdiv is already booked for the months prior to the opening of the Games.
Athletes from, among other countries, Japan, China, South Korea, Venezuela, and Mexico, will come to train in Bulgaria. They will use facilities in Plovdiv, Albena, Veliko Turnovo and Belmeken. The latter was being renovated for one million leva, Ivanov said. The National Sports Base has also given a million leva for Dianabad Sports Complex.
Belmeken, which was constructed in the 1960s, is renowned in the world of sports for its natural environment and is fully suitable for use by elite athletes.
The Belmeken National High Mountain Sport Complex is a unique high mountain multipurpose sport complex, only 140 km southeast from Sofia, Ivanov said.
For 22 years Belmeken has been a centre for preparation of the best Bulgarian and former East German athletes in various sports. It is built on a plateau where the ranges of the Rhodope and Rila mountains meet, 2050 m above sea level.
The Bulgarian Youth and Sports Ministry has recommended two other sports facilities for Greek financing, the Yunak stadium and the Dianabad complex, said Ivanov.
The athletes participating in Athens will also wear swimsuits made in Bulgaria.
Greek swimwear production and trading company Blue Point has been chosen as the official supplier of swimwear for the Athens games by the Greek Olympic Committee, said Blue Point executive director, Teodoros Tsitsiris.
The Athens 2004 organising committee is the body responsible for both the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Information and application forms for volunteers can be found on their web site, www.athens2004.com
The Bulgarian-Greek Info Centre said that volunteers should be at least 18 years old, and should be able to afford 10-day accommodation.
Ivanov had promised to secure finances for the volunteers, an Info Centre official said. By Tuesday of this week, there were more than 1500 potential volunteers who submitted applications and, so far, 20 had been approved.
The 2004 Olympic Games will be held from August 13 to 29, 2004. The competition schedule includes 28 Olympic sports that will be held at 37 venues.
The Olympic torch relay will cross Sofia on July 7. The relay's route will be 50.15km long, in compliance with the requirements of the International Olympic Commi-ttee, and will be covered in five hours.
In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, following the idea to re-establish the event in the English village of Much Wenlock. Since that time the Games have been hosted in cities around the world.
However, records show that the ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece as early as in 776 BCE.
It was then that the basis of the Olympic movement began to evolve into a philosophy of life: exalting and combining the qualities of body, will, and mind in a balanced whole.
Out of this philosophy the Olympic ideals were born, placing competition, sport, peace, culture, and education at the core of Greek civilisation.
Media controversy has dogged the preparations for the 2004 Games in Athens, particularly concerning issues like security and whether all the facilities will be ready on time, as well as doubts over whether the Greek capital's infrastructure will cope with the influx of teams and spectators. Whatever the outcome, Bulgaria hopes that the Games will have a supply-side effect in boosting the number of visitors to this country.
For Bulgaria, the run-up to the Games also means increased revenues for private business, and long-term investments in infrastructure, sports complexes and training facilities.
In the Sofia headquarters of Bulgaria's Ministry of Youth and Sports, a Bulgarian-Greek Info Centre Athens 2004 has been set up.
The centre is charged with promoting Bulgaria abroad, and recruiting volunteers to assist in its Olympic effort.
A 76-page catalogue has been compiled, including details of sports complexes in 17 cities and towns in Bulgaria, available for the recreation and training of sports people from around the world.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Vassil Ivanov, said that more than 10 000 athletes from countries with time zones that differ from that of Greece are to use Bulgarian facilities to train.
Greece and Bulgaria signed an agreement at the end of 2002 on co-operation regarding sports. This agreement is the basis for teams to be sent to Bulgaria for training.
The rowing facility in Plovdiv is already booked for the months prior to the opening of the Games.
Athletes from, among other countries, Japan, China, South Korea, Venezuela, and Mexico, will come to train in Bulgaria. They will use facilities in Plovdiv, Albena, Veliko Turnovo and Belmeken. The latter was being renovated for one million leva, Ivanov said. The National Sports Base has also given a million leva for Dianabad Sports Complex.
Belmeken, which was constructed in the 1960s, is renowned in the world of sports for its natural environment and is fully suitable for use by elite athletes.
The Belmeken National High Mountain Sport Complex is a unique high mountain multipurpose sport complex, only 140 km southeast from Sofia, Ivanov said.
For 22 years Belmeken has been a centre for preparation of the best Bulgarian and former East German athletes in various sports. It is built on a plateau where the ranges of the Rhodope and Rila mountains meet, 2050 m above sea level.
The Bulgarian Youth and Sports Ministry has recommended two other sports facilities for Greek financing, the Yunak stadium and the Dianabad complex, said Ivanov.
The athletes participating in Athens will also wear swimsuits made in Bulgaria.
Greek swimwear production and trading company Blue Point has been chosen as the official supplier of swimwear for the Athens games by the Greek Olympic Committee, said Blue Point executive director, Teodoros Tsitsiris.
The Athens 2004 organising committee is the body responsible for both the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Information and application forms for volunteers can be found on their web site, www.athens2004.com
The Bulgarian-Greek Info Centre said that volunteers should be at least 18 years old, and should be able to afford 10-day accommodation.
Ivanov had promised to secure finances for the volunteers, an Info Centre official said. By Tuesday of this week, there were more than 1500 potential volunteers who submitted applications and, so far, 20 had been approved.
The 2004 Olympic Games will be held from August 13 to 29, 2004. The competition schedule includes 28 Olympic sports that will be held at 37 venues.
The Olympic torch relay will cross Sofia on July 7. The relay's route will be 50.15km long, in compliance with the requirements of the International Olympic Commi-ttee, and will be covered in five hours.
In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, following the idea to re-establish the event in the English village of Much Wenlock. Since that time the Games have been hosted in cities around the world.
However, records show that the ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece as early as in 776 BCE.
It was then that the basis of the Olympic movement began to evolve into a philosophy of life: exalting and combining the qualities of body, will, and mind in a balanced whole.
Out of this philosophy the Olympic ideals were born, placing competition, sport, peace, culture, and education at the core of Greek civilisation.
