Sofia’s Mayor - an Honorary President of ACES Europa for 2019
All events and initiatives of the Bulgarian capital in connection with the title Sofia - European Capital of Sport 2018 were highly appreciated in a letter from ACES EUROPA to Sofia Municipality at the end of August 2018. As a result of everything the city has achieved, Sofia has been declared a permanent holder of the title European Capital of Sport and the Mayor of Sofia – an Honorary President of ACES Europa for 2019 – something that has never happened before in the history of the organization. The official ceremony for these events will be on December 4, 2018, in Brussels, where Sofia will hand over the title to Budapest as the future European Capital of Sport 2019.
Sofia has managed to promote mass sports – for the past 4 years the events of the initiative Sofia – European Capital of Sport have attracted more than 1.2 million participants, spectators and guests at the organized festivals, competitions and sports events. Every year the number of participants and guests at these sports events increases - from 140,000 in 2015 to 960,000 in 2019. For the past 4 years around 500 events have been held, 200 of which in 2018. Sofia has achieved these high results not only by organizing so many sports events, but also through investments in sports infrastructure - 45 fitness playgrounds and 38 table tennis tables in parks and gardens in Sofia have been constructed. Sport is also being developed in kindergartens and schools where 10 new sports halls and gymnasiums have been built and 6 new multifunctional sports halls are going to be constructed.
Sport is accessible to everyone in Sofia. The municipality is trying to replace a great number of the buses that serve the lines to Vitosha. The mountain of Sofia is also an inexhaustible source of opportunities for sports and entertainment all year round. Thus, Sofia is meant to be a capital of sport for thousands of sportspeople.
The event European Night of Sport which will take place on September 29, 2018 is expected to attract the greatest interest. It will offer a tour and speed climbing (outdoors and indoors) of the National Palace of Culture, hot air balloon rides and bungee jumping. Enjoy the atmosphere and the sports spirit of Sofia - the European Capital of Sport!