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Hungary Other Popular Groups
In addition to the traditional mass organizations, a
myriad
of other officially approved clubs and associations
focused
narrowly on such areas as agriculture, architecture,
history,
mathematics, music, the sciences, and so forth. A survey
in the
early 1980s counted 6,570 cultural, professional, and
sports
associations (63 percent of which had been established
after
1945), with a total of 2.3 million members. The largest
associations were the Hungarian Autoclub, with about
291,000
members in late 1982, and the National Association of
Stamp
Collectors, with approximately 157,000 members. Also
worthy of
note was the Home Defense Sport Federation, which promoted
physical fitness for the masses and sponsored premilitary
training for young people. Many Hungarians were also avid
sports
fans and participants. In 1985 more than 1.2 million
persons
belonged to the country's 3,860 sports clubs. The most
popular
sport was soccer. Chess was also widely played.
Data as of September 1989
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