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1. National strategy(ies)

2. Promoting and supporting sport and physical activity among young people

3. Physical education in schools

4. Collaboration and partnerships

National strategy(ies)

'Healthy Hungary 2021-2027' Healthcare Sectoral Strategy

The 'Healthy Hungary 2021-2027' Healthcare Sectoral Strategy ('Egészséges Magyarország 2021-2027' Egészségügyi Ágazati Stratégia) defines young people as a priority target group. It aims to increase youth participation in sport, promote training and an active lifestyle, and create an encouraging environment for the future generation to grow up healthy. The following 6 sub-goals serve to achieve a comprehensive sectoral objective:

• a healthy start in life and the protection of children's health;
• promoting a healthy lifestyle, reducing health risks, promoting health;
• reducing chronic diseases, preventive services;
• protection against epidemics and environmental damage;
• improving the health of the disadvantaged, reducing health inequalities;
• strengthening the public health system.

The Competitive Sports Strategy of Olympic Sports

The Hungarian Olympic Committee (Magyar Olimpiai Bizottság) has an important role in the development of the Hungarian sport strategy. The Committee cooperates with the minister responsible for sport policy in many fields such as 

• the establishment and implementation of sport development goals, 
• making proposals on the methodology of becoming an athlete,
• fulfilling the tasks related to the development of sport science.

The Committee also supports the physical, moral and cultural education of young people in the spirit of the Olympic movement.

In 2022, the Committee created a strategy, called 'Competitive Sports Strategy of Olympic Sports' ('Az Olimpiai Sportágak Versenysport-Stratégiája, 2022-2032).

Vision and goals of the strategy

The vision of the strategy consists of two equally important components: 

• Hungarian competitive sport must create social value. It must educate citizens for society who can be useful members of the nation even after they leave the world of competitive sport, who enjoy good physical and mental health and perform well at work.
• Hungarian competitive sport must maintain its Olympic effectiveness in the traditionally successful Olympic sports, while gradually catching up with the international elite and increasing its effectiveness in the emerging sports.

In order to realise this vision, four strategic goals must be achieved in Hungarian competitive sport: 

• Well-organised,
• knowledge-based operation,
• people-centred approach,
• continuous renewal.

Young people as special target group in the strategy

In the development processes, great emphasis is placed on the young age group. The strategy states that young athletes should be provided with a wide range of skills and abilities appropriate to the age of the athlete in order to develop the child's physical culture and movement competence. This complex training also increases the efficiency of later sporting specialisation.

The strategy emphasises that kindergarten teachers and teachers must have the competence to develop 

• children's movement culture,
• the conditional, 
• coordinative, 
• cognitive and 
• emotional skills of young people. 

The development of this knowledge should play a more important role in higher education and in the curricula of state-recognised teacher training courses, particularly with regard to the transfer of practical knowledge.

In addition to the traditional sports training and competition systems, it is necessary to introduce and strengthen the multi-sport approach. It is important that young people are not fixated on one sport, but try out as many as possible. Up to the age of around 12, it can be particularly beneficial to organise sports events and sports festivals that are designed with a multi-sport approach.

Implementation of the strategy

The strategy has already set the goals that they intend to reach by 2032, but they still need to define the indicators for the specific goals and the action plans with deadline, budget and responsible actors. The Committee also plans to establish a board that continuously monitors the implementation of the strategy. Currently, it is under discussion.

Sport XXI. National Sport Strategy

In 2007, a comprehensive policy document was produced as part of the Sport XXI. National Sport Strategy (Sport XXI. Nemzeti Sportstratégia), which sets out the short and long-term strategies for every aspect of the sport in Hungary. It considers sport as a tool for achieving the most critical social objectives:

• preservation of health,
• education,
• development of personality,
• community building,
• social integration.

The target group of the strategy is all Hungarian citizens. However, in the parts concerning youth, it is suggested that young people need to become active in order to achieve a sporty lifestyle. In this way, they can be helped to cope with the challenges of the 'accelerated world' by developing lifestyle and problem-solving skills.

The strategy was planned for the 2007-2020 period, in close cooperation with the State Secretariat Responsible for Public Education.

The latest measure in the Sport XXI. strategy (Sport XXI. Nemzeti Sportstratégia) involves children between the ages of 6 and 14/15 in regular physical training. It provides a broad selection base for the Heracles Programme ('Héraklész Program'), which contribute to the preparation and competition of young people aged 14-23 in 22 sports by providing funding and well-trained professionals.

Heracles Programme

The Heracles Programme ('Héraklész Program') was launched in 2001 as the first element of the new recruitment and training strategy with 13 sports. In 2023, it included 37 Olympic sports.

The aim of the programme is to train participants to reach international age group standards by young adulthood. This can be most effectively achieved between the ages of 14 and 18. To achieve this goal, ensuring regular, continuous training is a top priority for the programme. Accordingly, the project helps in the initial phase of the efficient, long-term career of the most talented 14-18 year old athletes. This is done primarily through regular training camps and frame trainings, by employing coaches who monitor the programme full-time and offer scientific measurements and examinations.

The State Secretariat Responsible for Sports, in the Ministry of Defence, is responsible for the programme. In 2022, in the 20^th Awards Gala, the State Secretariat awarded 130 young people and trainers. In 2023, 135 young people and their trainers received support. Currently, in total 900 young athletes are participating and supported in the programme.

Promoting and supporting sport and physical activity among young people

In addition to school and sport clubs, there are numerous programmes to:

• promote regular physical activity,
• help children and adults choose sports,
• integrate sport into young people's everyday life.

The aim is to support competitive and leisure sports and the spread of healthy lifestyles.

The 'Great Sports and Musical Instrument Selector'

The 'Great Sports and Musical Instrument Selector' ('Nagy Sportágválasztó és Nagy Hangszerválasztó') took place for the 21^st time in 2017. There were a few years when it did not take place because of the pandemic, but since 2021, it has been organised again. It aims to help children and adults find the right sport. The aim of the event is not only to watch sports demonstrations, but to actively participate, pick up equipment, try out the sport and experience the nature and feel of the different sports. 

In 2023, the event was organised twice and more than 100 sports are represented at each event and Olympic athletes are also invited. Furthermore, young people also have the opportunity to try different types of musical instruments in this event.

The Challenge Day

The Challenge Day ('Kihívás Napja'), which was launched in Canada in 1982, has also been held in Hungary since 1991. The event is coordinated by the Hungarian Leisure Sports Alliance (Magyar Szabadidősport Szövetség), and up until now a total of 1596 settlements have participated in the competitions in Hungary. In 2021, from the start, the residents of the participant villages and cities completed more than 3.3 million 15-minute exercises.

European Week of Sport

Since 2015 Hungary has also participated in the European Week of Sport ('Európai Sporthét') organised by the European Council. Hungary has been an exceptionally active participant in the project over the last two years, even by European standards. The Hungarian Leisure Sports Alliance (Magyar Szabadidősport Szövetség) takes care of the national coordination tasks.

The programmes of the Hungarian School Sport Federation

In the framework of the European School Sports Day the Hungarian School Sport Federation [(Magyar Diáksport Szövetség) MDSZ] organised events in Hungary in the last years, to raise awareness of the initiative, as well as regular exercise and healthy eating (water and fruit consumption). In 2022, the topic was 'Go to the green!' that means that the day focused on both school sport and environmental consciousness. This topic inspired various activities such as plogging, zero waste toys and planting trees.

Student camps

The Hungarian School Sport Federation organised student camps in 2023, in the summer, with the support of the Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium). The target group was 6-14 aged school students. The camps aimed at the development of the movement skills of children through different organised sport programmes, with sport professionals and teachers. They also provided lifestyle programmes in the following topics:

• healthy environment, 
• social relationships,
• energy-balance,
• addictions,
• digital world.

Physical education in schools

With the aim of contributing to a healthier society, the Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education (2011. évi CXC. törvény a nemzeti köznevelésről), emphasises the importance of organising PE classes and other sporting programmes in schools. The aim of the 'five PE hours per week', introduced by the law, is to provide daily exercise for every child in the country.

The law states that the school must organise at least one hour of physical education PE hour per day on school days when general or specialised theoretical classes are held. Of this, a maximum of two hours per week may be replaced by educational conditions set by the curriculum requirements for physical education, literacy and sports in the school sports circle. Two lessons can also be replaced by exercises organised within sports club. This is done at the request of pupils who participate in competitive sports and are certified members of sports clubs or have an amateur sports contract and who have a starting licence valid for the school year.

Collaboration and partnerships

Many schools enter into cooperation agreement with various associations. These are local initiatives that are usually implemented with the help of the local authorities.

Annual development framework

The call of the Hungarian Government to civil organisations, churches and consortiums of financial bodies, based on the annual development framework, which is set out in the Government Decision no. 1037/2016. (II.9) [1037/2016. (II.9.) számú Korm.határozat], is in the interest of

• strengthening personal and collective responsibility
• development of citizens' health consciousness
• maintenance of mental and physical health
• social development
• the realisation of youth and sports programmes
• strengthening cultural cooperation
• improvements concerning family issues.  

National Competitive Sports and Recruit-training Education Centres

The National Competitive Sports and Recruit-training Education Centres (Nemzeti Élsport és Utánpótlás-nevelési Képzési Központok) provides another framework for cooperation. These Centres form an academic system that provides an opportunity for young sportsmen and sportswomen to train both mentally and physically under higher level professional supervision, guidance and in a modern, safe infrastructural environment.

Hungarian Sports Stars' Scholarship

In order to work with universities, the Government has launched the Hungarian Sports Stars' Scholarship ('Magyar Sportcsillagok Ösztöndíj'). The aim is to support students who are studying at a university and have outstanding results in sport and the chance to become European champions, world champions or Olympic champions during their studies. It also helps athletes to reach a higher level of education during their active competitive years. In the first semester of the 2022/2023 academic year, 92 young people were supported and the monthly support ranges from about EUR 300-600 per month (HUF 120 000-240 000). In the 2023/2024 academic year, 151 university students received a support.