ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 All Rights Reserved

Swiss lay the foundations of physical education in Bulgaria

Photo: nsa.bg

The conference "The work of Swiss teachers - a message and a challenge for future generations" was held today. It was organised by the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" and the Swiss Embassy and is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the arrival of Swiss teachers who laid the foundations of physical education in Bulgaria.

On 17 May 1894, the first 10 physical education teachers from Switzerland arrived in Sofia with the task of establishing sport in Bulgaria. Among them were Charles Champot and Louis Ayer. 

For the first time in Bulgaria, the Swiss imported footballs and various equipment for gymnastics. Champot was Bulgaria's first participant in the Summer Olympics - in Athens in 1896. However, Louis Ayer gained greater fame for fighting in the Balkan War, the Second Balkan War and the First World War, where he died at the Battle of Doiran in 1916. A street in Sofia is named after him.

In honour of the arrival of the Swiss teachers in Bulgaria, 17 May was declared the Day of Bulgarian Sport.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria Life    ayer bulgaria champot sport swiss teachers

More from category

Read. For Real: Bulgaria marks Reading Day

Bulgaria celebrates National Reading Day on the third Friday of November. The Reading Foundation is leading the initiative under the motto: “Read. For Real”. According to the OECD's PISA 2022 study, 53% of 15-year-old students in Bulgaria have..

published on 11/21/25 7:55 AM

Career Fair supports young people in exploring future professions

On November 21–22, 2025, the 11th edition of the Career Fair   will take place at the John Atanasov Hall in Sofia Tech Park. The forum aims to support early career orientation for young people in Bulgaria and is organized by the Bulgarian Global..

published on 11/21/25 7:35 AM

The еuro causes concerns among Bulgarians, but attracts foreigners

From fear and doubts to joy and support – Bulgarians react differently to the upcoming introduction of the euro on January 1, 2026. For some, it is a logical step towards Bulgaria’s integration into the EU with promises of stability..

published on 11/20/25 2:45 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Clear
Min: -8 | Max: 2
Partly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 4
Partly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 3
Partly Cloudy
Min: -7 | Max: 5
Partly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 2
Partly Cloudy
Min: -6 | Max: 3
Partly Cloudy
Min: -8 | Max: 2
Clear
Min: -6 | Max: 0
Partly Cloudy
Min: -5 | Max: 3
Partly Cloudy
Min: -10 | Max: 2
Partly Cloudy
Min: -6 | Max: 3
Partly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 4
Clear
Min: -5 | Max: 4
Partly Cloudy
Min: -10 | Max: 0
Partly Cloudy
Min: -6 | Max: 3
Clear
Min: -4 | Max: 4
Partly Cloudy
Min: -7 | Max: 0
Partly Cloudy
Min: -5 | Max: 2
Clear
Min: -5 | Max: 1
Partly Cloudy
Min: -5 | Max: 2
Partly Cloudy
Min: -11 | Max: 0
Partly Cloudy
Min: -8 | Max: 1
Clear
Min: -6 | Max: 3
Clear
Min: -7 | Max: 0
Partly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 4
Clear
Min: -6 | Max: 1
Partly Cloudy
Min: -5 | Max: 2
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"