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Bulgarians are proud of their performances at world
competitions in weightlifting, wrestling, boxing, decathlon, badminton and
rhythmic gymnastics. The Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics team has won world
championships 10 times since 1963 and consistently ranked highly in European
championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Like other Europeans, Bulgarians enjoy soccer and have
played well at International World Cups. The Bulgarian national team has
reached the World Cup finals seven times. In the 1994 World Cup finals, Bulgaria
placed fourth. Sofia has two major soccer teams, Levski and CSKA. Spectators
may purchase a ticket for a local game for less than a dollar. |
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Bulgarians also enjoy the outdoors. Mountain climbing, skiing,
hiking, and tennis are popular. It is common for families to take a one- or two-week
vacation to visit either the Black Sea for swimming and sunbathing or the mountains
for skiing. Mount Vitosha, on the southern outskirts of Sofia, is the most accessible
of Bulgaria's ski areas. The largest resort is near the Rila Mountains at Borovets,
70 kilometres south of Sofia. |
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Did you know? |
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Norair Nurikian, a weightlifter, won gold medals at the
Olympics in Munich and Montreal, and is the coach of the Bulgarian weightlifting
team. |
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Did you know? |
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Neshka Robeva, coach of Bulgaria's rhythmic gymnastics team,
is regarded as an innovative leader in the sport. Under her leadership, Bulgarians
dominated the sport for 10 years. During her athletic career, she won a total of
9 medals at European and World championships. |
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