Junior players are being helped by the increased hockey development in Bulgaria (inset)

Hockey blooms in Bulgaria 

Norman Hughes, FIH Continental Development Officer for Europe, reveals the amazing progress made by hockey in Bulgaria 

Hockey in Bulgaria is enjoying its best ever summer. So much is happening that it is difficult to keep track of everything. 

The FIH/IOC pitch project in the beautiful resort of Albena on the Black Sea coast is storming ahead and is due for completion at the end of September. In October the official opening includes youth teams from all around the Balkan and Mediterranean. 

It is hoped that Albena will become a key venue for Balkan youth championships and summer camps. Young coaches from Bulgaria have attended the EHF/Sportsways Excellence Summer Camps in Barcelona for the last two years to train up for staging and organising Balkan Summer Camps in Albena from 2006 onwards. 

But it's not just in Albena that hockey is blossoming. Thanks to the support of an FIH grant and the enthusiasm of the Bulgarian Hockey Federation (BHF) Executive, Antonio Antonov and his team, many other towns in Bulgaria are looking to grow hockey.

Three new part time Development Officers were appointed in December 2004 with responsibility to grow hockey in the three regions of Dobrudja, Mizia and Trakia. 

Since their appointment, the team has been hard at work. First they had to write Regional Development plans for the Bulgarian Hockey Federation to approve. This was completed in January 2005. Fifteen young umpires were trained at a seminar during January 2005. 

They all attended the BHF Coaches seminar staged in April so that they could compare ideas and work as a team. 

New clubs have been formally established in towns across the north, east and south of Bulgaria. Traditionally the capital Sofia has been the hotbed for hockey but as time goes on hockey is spreading across the whole of the country giving more and more kids a chance to have a go at hockey. 

In the past months, new clubs have been springing up all over Bugaria:
· In March a new club was formed in Jastrebtz/Samokov. (Trakia region)
· In April new clubs were formed in Varna and Plovdiv (Dobrudja region)
· In May two new clubs were formed in Pleven town (Mizia region)

The arrival in May of new sticks and equipment via FIH allowed the coaching activity to start in earnest. The kit was shared out across the three developing regions so that the officers could put it to best use. Teams from these newly formed clubs took part in the Bulgarian National Championships in June at U10 and U12 level.

While much work is being done, there is a pressing need for sand-filled pitches. BHF has already had meetings with the municipal authorities to try and encourage support for small synthetic pitches to be installed. Many of these meetings have been successful but now comes the challenge to find some second-hand carpets for the towns that are prepared to find the site and prepare the sub-base.

Lots of development work and lots of new young hockey players. Watch this space. Hockey in Bulgaria is in full bloom.