Editing Varna, Bulgaria (section)

== Sports ==
[[File:Varna Sea Garden Sport Complex.jpg|thumb|Sea Garden leisure centre]]
[[File:Olympian Swimming pool, Varna.jpg|thumb|"Julian Rusev" swimming pool]]

=== Football ===
In the late 19th century, Varna was considered the birthplace of Bulgarian football with a Swiss gym teacher, [[Georges de Regibus]], coaching the first varsity team at the men's high school. Association football is the biggest spectator sport with two rival clubs in the nation's top professional league, [[PFC Cherno More Varna|Cherno More]] (''the Sailors''), founded in 1913 and four times national champion, including the first championship in 1925, and [[FC Spartak Varna|Spartak]] (''the Falcons''), founded in 1918, one time champion and participant in the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]] in [[1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup|1983]], when it reached the second knockout round and played [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]. Few other football academies exist. In 2021

From 1993 to 2003, [[Women Football Club Varna|Grand Hotel Varna]] was a hegemon in the women football league, winning 10 consecutive titles.

By 2024, [[Stadion Spartak (Varna)|Spartak Stadium]] and [[Stadion Ticha|Ticha Stadium]] are the biggest stadiums in town, since [[Yuri Gagarin Stadium]] demolition. [[New Varna Stadium]] is currently in construction on the place of Gagarin Stadium and is expected to become the biggest stadium in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2016/02/15/2705000_krainiiat_srok_za_zavurshvane_na_stadion_varna_ostava/|publisher=Dnevnik.bg|title=Varna Stadium|access-date=1 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301010819/http://www.dnevnik.bg/sport/2016/02/15/2705000_krainiiat_srok_za_zavurshvane_na_stadion_varna_ostava/|archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>

=== Swimming ===
Modern Bulgarian swimming dates to 18 May 1923 when the Bulgarian Public Marine Union was established in Varna. The organisation was the first to manage and administer swimming as a sport in Bulgaria. Famous Bulgarian swimmers from Varna are Aleksi Aleksiev (aka the Pope), Milko Rachev (aka Brother Milko), Maria Nikolova, [[Yulyan Rusev|Julian Rusev]]. Some of the leading swimming clubs are PSK Cherno More, KPS Asteri, KPS Torpedo, SKPS Albatros and KPS Cherno More.

Julian Rusev pool is the second oldest 50 m Olympic-size pool in the country, built in 1964 and located on the South beach in Varna. After a major redevelopment in 2008 council owned entity was established named Swimming Complex "Primorski". The 50m pool, now in line with [[FINA]] pool criteria, was adjacent to the water polo and diving pool "Aleksi Aleksiev". Subsequently, a third 25 m covered pool was built next to the diving pool along with a SPA & gym centre.
There are three other swimming pools in the city.

On the first Sunday of August the marathon "Galata – Varna" takes place, the oldest Bulgarian [[Marathon swimming|swimming marathon]]. It dates back to 1939 and it attracts nearly 300 national and foreign swimmers. Bulgaria greatest swimmer [[Petar Stoychev]] holds the all-time record of 46 min for swimming the 4.5&nbsp;km open water distance, crossing the Varna Bay.

=== Other sports ===
Men's basketball ([[BC Cherno More Port Varna|Euroins Cherno More]]), women's volleyball, gymnastics, boxing, martial arts, sailing and tennis are also vibrant. A [[karting racing and a go kart]] track and a [[hippodrome]] with a [[Equestrianism|horseback]] [[Equestrian facility|riding school]] is located in the Vinitsa neighborhood. Varna karting track is biggest track in Bulgaria .It has more than 30pcs rental go kart and 10 buggies. Another horse club is located just 10 minutes' drive away from Varna in the nearby village of [[Kichevo, Bulgaria|Kichevo]]. [[Asparuhov most|Asparuhov bridge]] is a major Bulgarian [[bungee jumping]] site managed by ''Club Adrenalin''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adrenalin.bg/en/|title=Club Adrenalin|access-date=1 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301011232/http://adrenalin.bg/en/|archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref> [[Cricket]] has been most recently introduced by ex-pats from cricket playing nations to the city's sport scene.

In August 2007 a new public leisure centre was opened in Mladost district. The track-field stadium consists of football, basketball and volleyball fields and is part of a larger complex of sports facilities for mini-golf, tennis, biking, mini-lakes and ice-skating. Other public leisure centres opened in the [[Sea Garden (Varna)|Sea Garden]], [[Asparuhovo, Varna|Asparuhov]] Park and elsewhere. The number and range of gym and recreation clubs in Varna have increased in recent years, which reflects the healthy lifestyle of the average Varna citizens.

In the region, there are three [[golf course]]s—Lighthouse Golf Club, BlackSeaRama Golf & Villas and Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort. The three 18-hole golf courses are of professional quality, constructed in the region to the north of the city in the vicinity of [[Balchik]] and [[Kavarna]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.golfbg.com/golf-courses/index/en|title=Golf courses, Bulgaria|access-date=1 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301011219/http://www.golfbg.com/golf-courses/index/en|archive-date=1 March 2017}}</ref>

Varna also hosts international competitions, including world championships, and national events in several sports on a regular basis, including auto racing and motocross, karting, open water swimming marathons. Bulgarian national basketball and volleyball teams host their games, including [[FIVB Volleyball World League]] games, at the [[Palace of Culture and Sports]].

Varna athletes won one of the three medals for Bulgaria at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] and four of the 12 medals at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]].

=== Legacy: Other places named Varna ===
[[Varna Peninsula]] on [[Livingston Island]] in the [[South Shetland Islands]], [[Antarctica]] is named after Varna.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apc.mfa.government.bg/ |title=Antarctic Place-names Commission. Republic of Bulgaria, Ministry of Foreign Affairs |website=apc.mfa.government.bg |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060207095915/http://apc.mfa.government.bg/ |archive-date=7 February 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Varna, Illinois]], a small town of 400 people, was named in this city's honour. The [[War of Varna]] was going on at the time.

[[Varnensky District]] and its administrative centre in the [[Chelyabinsk Oblast]], Russia are named in commemoration of the taking of Varna by the Russian army during the 1828–1829 [[Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829)|Russo-Turkish War]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Borislav Petrov |url=http://varna.info.bg/english/varna_worldwide_en.htm |title=Places around the world with the name of Varna |publisher=Varna.info.bg |access-date=8 June 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711172439/http://varna.info.bg/english/varna_worldwide_en.htm |archive-date=11 July 2012 }}</ref>

Varna Drive, in [[Toronto]], Canada, is named after this city. There is also a hamlet in southern Ontario (Huron County) named Varna.<ref>{{cite cgndb|id= FCZQR|title= Varna|access-date= 2021-05-17}}</ref>

Varna, an area just outside of Aarhus, Denmark. This was named after the Bulgarian city, because Baron Christian C. N. Gersdorff, a former owner of Marselisborg estate, had participated in Russian war service on the Black Sea coast.