A commission from ACES Europe arrived in Nesebar today to review the city's bid for the title of "European Black Sea Sports Capital – 2027."

The delegation includes ACES Europe president and founder Gian Francesco Lupatelli, Secretary General Hugo Alonso, Vice President Dr. Andrea Junger, board member Anatoli Iliev, executive director of the "Sofia – European Capital of Sport" foundation Damyan Dikov, and Turkish expert Adem Sever.

The guests toured the sports facilities built by the municipality — venues that host everything from youth competitions to tournaments for professional athletes. This infrastructure forms the backbone of the city's bid.

Nesebar Mayor Nikolay Dimitrov welcomed the experts and told them that sport has never been just about competitions and medals for the municipality. "Sport means upbringing, discipline and the chance for our children and young people to stay active, and therefore physically healthy and well integrated into the community, both within it and beyond," he said. According to him, the municipality has invested heavily over the years to enable more people to take part in sport. What was shown to the commission today was not a collection of isolated venues, but the outcome of a comprehensive policy.

"We can show the medals, cups and certificates earned by our children from more than 30 clubs and schools, because we don't just build facilities — we directly fund youth sport," Dimitrov added, listing pitches, school and neighborhood gyms, stadiums, an indoor sports hall, a swimming pool and a sailing sports base spread across the municipality.

The presentation continued at the Artium Center, where the commission was shown the municipality's capacity to host sporting events. Emphasis was placed on making sport accessible to all residents, regardless of age or location. The experts were also briefed on Nesebar's plans for future development of sports infrastructure, part of a broader policy aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, youth development, social inclusion and a better quality of life.

Nikolay Dimitrov explained that the bid for the title is a logical continuation of a long-standing policy. The municipality wants to be recognized not only as a tourist and cultural destination, but also as a place where sport is part of everyday life. "We have the infrastructure, we have active clubs, we have talented children, and most importantly, we have the will to keep developing this policy. That is exactly what we are presenting to ACES Europe today," the mayor said.

Nesebar's bid rests on its existing sports facilities, the work of local clubs, school sport, and the calendar of sporting events held in the municipality throughout the year.

ACES Europe President Gian Francesco Lupatelli said the commission's visit marks an important stage in the evaluation process for the candidacies. "Nesebar's presentation is an opportunity for the city to showcase not only its sports facilities, but also the municipality's overall vision for the role of sport in the life of the local community," he said.

With today's meeting, Nesebar signaled to the European organization its ambition to make sport an even bigger part of the city's and municipality's future development.