NSA Hosted a Partner Training “Innovation in Sustainable Sport: Innovative Solutions for Environmentally Friendly Practices and Events”

The Ministry of Youth and Sports organized a two-day partner training on the topic “Innovation in Sustainable Sport: Innovative Solutions for Environmentally Friendly Practices and Events.” The National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" hosted the forum, which is part of the European Union Work Plan for Sport 2024–2027. The event aimed to assess the diverse approaches adopted by EU member states in introducing and implementing policies that promote innovative solutions for sustainable sport, with a special focus on environmentally friendly practices.

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Stoyan Andonov opened the partner training. “Sport and physical activity bring undeniable health benefits but can also serve as a powerful catalyst for change in society. For this reason, we must harness the potential of sport to respond to one of the major global challenges—climate change. By combining innovative approaches with care for the environment, we can take a step toward achieving a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future for sport,” said Stoyan Andonov.

Rector Prof. Krasimir Petkov stated that the National Sports Academy is, in itself, a good example of environmentally friendly solutions, as its renovated buildings and facilities are highly energy efficient, photovoltaic panels are used, and trees are continuously planted across the campus. Thanks to all these measures, NSA has created an environment for education and sport that meets modern sustainability standards to a great extent.

Deputy Minister of Environment and Water Reneta Koleva also delivered a greeting to the discussion participants. A video message was presented by European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva, who thanked the Ministry of Youth and Sports for organizing the forum.

The two-day training included lecturers, international experts, and professionals in the field of sustainable sport from ten EU member states. The specialists discussed the key role of innovation and exchanged best practices for promoting and developing environmentally friendly sport.