SHOWDOWN

The European Week of Sport #BeActive takes place annually between 23 and 30 September, and during its 10th edition, which took place in 2024, all residents and guests of Sofia had the opportunity to be part of the biggest sports celebration in Europe. The European Week of Sport is an initiative of the European Commission that has been taking place in September across Europe since 2015. The week, which takes the form of an awareness-raising campaign, promotes the many benefits of sport and physical activity and is open to all, regardless of age, background or physical condition.

On the 3rd of September 2024, at the "Vasil Levski" National sports academy, Bulgarian sports development association held a dissemination event under the Showdown and OR. with SNORKELING – Orienteering with Snorkeling, projects. The event aimed to introduce the initiatives to the sports professionals, trainers, coaches and sports educators. These initiatives are aimed at young people and children with physical or visual impairments and their partners, and their objective is to promote sport as an effective tool to improve their physical, mental and social well-being. Unfortunately, people with disabilities are often excluded from or refused participation in sporting activities due to various barriers such as lack of training and opportunities to compete, insufficient awareness of how to include people with disabilities and inaccessible facilities.

In the period 5-11 August 2024 in the city of Sofia, the 11th European Showdown Championships is taking place, which is a long-awaited event for the sports community in Bulgaria. In 2020, our country was approved to host the European Showdown Championships, but due to the pandemic, the championships was not held. Four years later, thanks to the efforts of the "Sports for the Visually Impaired Federation ", the bid to host was again approved by both the "Ministry of Youth and Sports" and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).

The international training course on SHOWDOWN was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from July 2nd to 3rd, 2024, gathering sport experts from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Spain. On July 2nd, the training focused on inclusive SHOWDOWN, took place at the Center for Education & Rehabilitation for the Blind. The following day, July 3rd, the training continued with a session on first aid for people with disabilities, held at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This event was part of an ongoing effort to promote inclusivity and safety in sports for individuals with disabilities.

On 25th of January 2024, the first meeting within the SHOWDOWN initiative took place, hosted by Bulgarian Sports Development Association, bringing together partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Spain. The SHOWDOWN project aims to facilitate and promote the participation of people with visual impairments in health-enhancing physical activities that will improve their health and help them establish social connections within their communities. To achieve this, the project will focus on the Showdown game, which is an inclusive sport that welcomes people of all genders, ages, and abilities.

Participating in sports has been associated with a number of benefits for one's physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities are often excluded or discouraged from participating in sports due to various barriers such as a lack of training and competition opportunities, inadequate awareness on how to include people with disabilities, and inaccessible facilities. On November 8, 2023, the first online meeting within the SHOWDOWN initiative took place, bringing together partners from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Spain.

Participating in sports has been associated with a number of benefits for one's physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities are often excluded or discouraged from participating in sports due to various barriers such as a lack of training and competition opportunities, inadequate awareness on how to include people with disabilities, and inaccessible facilities.