Indicator history

According to NGOs Roma are almost excluded from professional sport. However, there are no studies on the reasons for this situation. Representatives of NGOs believe this is primarily due to the negative attitude of managers and trainers rather than to specific rules and provisions.

In amateur sports there are many players of Turkish ethnic origin, especially in the teams from the north-east and the south parts of the country where the prevailing part of the Turkish minority lives. There are also many Roma players, especially in the youth teams.

According to NGOs,[1] Roma are significantly underrepresented in children's and youth sport and this is due to the negative attitudes of trainers and parents towards the Roma, e.g. parents of ethnic Bulgarian children do not like their children to play together with Roma children in the same team. NGOs implementing projects on the integration of Roma children through sport report about such problems from their own experience. According to representatives of such NGOs' it is difficult to convince teachers and parents to support the organisation of sport events with the participation of Roma and other children. NGOs also report that such problems occur only in relation to the Roma minority and are completely missing when other ethnic groups in the country are concerned.

NGOs also report that the underrepresentation of Roma in children's and youth sport is often linked to the segregation in education. Sport activities are seen as closely related to children's education and the fact that Roma children study in separate schools or classes usually leads to their exclusion from the sport activities on school level.