The Minister of Youth and Sports Vessela Letcheva congratulated the Bulgarian Olympic Committee on the occasion of the Centenary during a ceremony at the Military Club, where IOC President Thomas Bach was a special guest.
Bulgaria is among the 14 participating countries in the First Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. It is no coincidence that our country has members of the International Olympic Committee even before the Bulgarian Olympic Committee officially existed, reminded Minister Letcheva.
“Generations of our famous athletes, coaches, specialists have given their work, energy, talent and love to sports in order to develop in Bulgaria the timeless values of Olympism such as sportsmanship, support, tolerance and mutual understanding. On this day, I remember my first Olympic Games – those in Seoul. Games that went down in history as the first after the end of the Cold War and the Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 boycotts. Games that showed that sport can be above all else. Today more than ever, in times of crises and wars, we realize how important the Olympic values are. Because Olympism is peace. It unites, not divides. It is a natural pursuit of excellence and fair play.
We also highly appreciate the role of President Thomas Bach, who does not allow war to enter sports and trample Olympic ideals. A difficult, but I believe, visionary mission,” Vessela Letcheva said in her speech.
The Minister of Youth and Sports thanked the BOK and the chairperson Stefka Kostadinova for their contribution to establishing the authority of Bulgarian sports.
“Traditions and successes give us self-confidence. Sports history makes us strong and significant, but it also obliges us to follow this path. I believe that in the future we will defend the Olympic principles with the same dedication and they will be an important pillar for the prosperity of our nation. I believe that our mission is to convey our love and dedication to the Olympic dream and ideals, and our example will raise generations of active, solidary and humane Europeans,” noted Vessela Letcheva.
Earlier today, Thomas Bach was a guest of President Rumen Radev, where the possibility of Bulgaria hosting the Youth Winter Olympic Games was also discussed.
“This stands as a plan for Bulgaria,” said Letcheva in front of the BNT camera.
