#BeInclusiveWaterPolo team

Bulgarian Sports Development Association (BSDA) was founded in 2010 and is a NGO devoted to the development of sport and improving sporting culture. Main priorities of BSDA: Reviving sport culture, Volunteering in sport, Education through and in sport, Good governance in sport, Integration through sport, Skills of the future and entrepreneurship.

As sport is about ambition, emotion and inspiration initiated by the people for the people, the sector should be based on the personal convictions of decision-makers for integrity, dedication and fairness as well as on the principles of “fair play”, team-work, discipline, equal start and non-discrimination. Sport is also a excellent way to prevent many of the problems within our society such as social exclusion, violence, crime and addictions. The team of the association is creative and full of innovative spirit that works for the development of sport and sport culture in Bulgaria and Europe. BSDA membership is voluntary and the association involves both physical and legal persons who are willing to help sport development with time, ideas, effort or financial support. The association also organizes different events in the areas of: entrepreneurship, citizenship and active society. The team of the organization consists of professionals from different fields such as: sport experts, media specialists, tourism and hospitality, education, marketing and others.

During the years, BSDA has developed excellent partnerships with multiple private companies, governmental and educational institutions, local authorities, non-governmental organizations. We are positively recognized and actively working with the media and rely on good media coverage of our activities and campaigns.

One of the main priorities that BSDA works on is the popularization of the methodology Education through sport /ETS/ for prevention and to fight with deviant behaviors among young people. ETS methodology is innovative for Bulgaria, created by European specialists and using sport as an educational instrument for fighting communication problems, human rights understanding, lowing rates of deviant behaviors and aggression, creating team spirit and feeling of community belonging.

The Association of Bulgarian Swimmers (ABS) was established in 2008 as a non-governmental organization to benefit public with the sole purpose to promote swimming and swimming sports in all their true form as most healthiest and social sports for people. The association combines of about 30 former swimmers and water polo players who are convinced that these sports have though them some important life lessons and now want to help in development of the promotion of the same sports. The goal is simple- convicting the society to absorb the benefits from all sports (not only the swimming sport). Part if the team of the organization are as well wide-known sport journalists that possess with wide dissemination channels in their network and the reach of swimming society and everyone interested in water sports is guaranteed. Deep understanding of water sports is as well huge advantage of the organization and through their first step into the Erasmus world with the present proposal, they will be able to share their experience and knowledge with the European sports family.

As sports and in particular swimming sports is about ambition, emotion and inspiration initiated by the people for the people, the sector should be based on the personal convictions of decision-makers for integrity, dedication and fairness as well as on the principles of “fair play”, team-work, discipline, equal start and non-discrimination. They believe that sports and in particular swimming sportsshould be part of a modern life of children and young people and should transmit in them all those values and support their use in all aspects of life. Sport is also be a excellent way to prevent many of the problems experienced by young people such as social exclusion, violence, crime and addictions.

Their work is mostly concentrated into increasing the basic knowledge of swimming sports. The team includes media professionals, swimming and water polo coaches, marketing and event management specialists, school and university teachers, sports experts, etc.

ABS main goals are:

To promote swimming and swimming sports as the most useful, most healthy and most social;
To sustain the development of physical education and sport in Bulgaria;
To develop implement and coordinate projects and programs for the development of sports (in particular swimming sports), sports facilities and physical education;
To improve the health, physical condition and sport culture of the nation.
To create a favorable environment for sustainable and effective management and entrepreneurship in sports;
To protect children, young adults, professional athletes, coaches, sports figures and sports organizations;
To develop and stimulate the entrepreneurship and personal development of young people;
Development of prevention through sport.

ABS has partnered with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Sofia Municipality, Bulgarian Swimming Federation and the Bulgarian Water Polo Federation in various projects by promoting the benefits of sport and regular sport activities, developing the sport culture of young people and also trained young people to become sport specialists.

Para Sports Association of the City of Rijeka – Para Sports Association of the City of Rijeka was founded in Rijeka in 1983. It was founded with a primal goal to promote sports among young people especially among those with various types of disabilities. It has a mission to integrate people with disabilities in society through sports, and to give a contribution to equal rights of all citizens and prevent social exclusion of people with disabilities. There are 16 sports clubs within our organization which include: swimming, wheelchair tennis, athletics, table tennis, boccia, Alpine skiing, equestrian, shooting, sports for the deaf and sports for the blind. Some of the main activities of Rijeka sports association for persons with disabilities include: promoting the common interests of its member sport clubs for the disabled, coordinating and synchronizing their program activities, organization of sporting activities for persons with disability in the Primorje – Gorski Kotar County, as well as organization of competition on all level s for all sports under the wing of Croatian Paralympic Committee and Croatian Sports Association of Deaf People, development of programs for international and EU regional cooperation, and including as many sports clubs for persons with disability in the process as possible, developing and implementing EU projects, strengthening of the Paralympic principles through cooperation with similar organizations in Croatia and abroad, and of course, ensuring the financial resources for these activities.

Basic activities of the Para Sports Association of the City of Rijeka are as follows:

– Promoting the common interests of its members, coordinating and synchronizing their program activities;

– Taking part in the process of defining the organizational criteria for the competition system in the Republic of Croatia – Following and consideration of the current financial issues in sports for persons with disabilities in the Primorje – Gorski Kotar Region;

– Organization of sporting activities for person s with disabilities in the Primorje – Gorski Kotar Region, as well as organization of competition on all levels for all sports under the wing of Croatian Paralympic Committee and Croatian Sports Union for Deaf People; – Development of programs for inter national and regional cooperation, and including as many sports clubs for persons with disabilities in the process as possible, of the Paralympic principles through cooperation with similar organizations in Croatia and abroad ensuring the financial resources for these activities.