Bulgarian sports management and infrastructure reforms

Bulgarian Sports Minister Encho Keryazov has initiated efforts to address systemic mismanagement and infrastructure decay within the nation’s sports sector.

Initially, the Ministry proposed legislative amendments to the Physical Education and Sports Act. These reforms aim to prevent individuals involved in bankrupt sports federations from registering new entities and seek to grant the Ministry greater authority to revoke the rights of clubs that fail to support athletes. Keryazov highlighted issues such as the Weightlifting Federation’s repeated bankruptcies and long-term rent arrears at the Septemvri sports complex.

Following these proposals, the Minister identified several state sports facilities in serious condition, including the Belmeken high-mountain base and the ‘Sport Palace’ in Varna. A renovation plan for national facilities is expected to launch next year, though no immediate projects for a new national stadium are currently planned. Keryazov also addressed management crises in wrestling, weightlifting, and chess, emphasizing the state’s role as a mediator to avoid the historical pitfalls of political interference.