The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Vessela Letcheva, was in the studio of Bulgaria on Air TV to talk about the latest success of Bulgarian athletes and the current situation in the BOC.
Carlos Nasar achieved a unique success, winning his third world title with a new world record. In recent months, we have seen exceptional examples of successful Bulgarian athletes with incredible achievements, which once again shows that sport is Bulgaria’s best face to the world. Our national volleyball team came second in the world, after the girls won the title. Two Bulgarians also played in the US Open finals. After this success, Ivan Ivanov and Alexander Vassilev achieved the same for Bulgaria with their participation in the Davis Cup team, Letcheva recalled.
“A few days ago, I was proud to see Malena Zamfirova awarded the title of Europe’s number one athlete. Malena has demonstrated not only that she is an excellent athlete, but also that she has a very strong personal presence. Although she is only 16 years old, she is already a public figure, which was decisive in the voting of the delegates at the European Olympic Committees forum in Malta,” commented Letcheva.
Malena Zamfirova became the first Bulgarian woman to receive the Pyotr Nurovsky Award, which is given to the best young athlete in winter sports after a vote by the national Olympic committees across Europe. Malena’s nomination was made by the Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee at the end of the summer. She then made it into the top 5 finalists, with the decisive vote taking place in Malta, where Malena was present in person.
“This was also part of my election program—to help our athletes, coaches, and federations be visible outside Bulgaria. To be elected to international organizations and commissions, to win awards outside the country. To be where we belong – in the big Olympic family,” Letcheva added.
The ongoing problems in the BOC and Stefka Kostadinova’s refusal to accept the results of the general meeting contrast sharply with the successes of Bulgarian athletes.
“This is a huge stain on the BOC and the Olympic movement. For seven months, the BOC has been in complete stagnation, and the desire of the old leadership to change the outcome of the election, which ended in a decisive victory, is becoming increasingly apparent”.
Vessela Letcheva added that that the four-member BOC delegation, invited and accredited by the European Olympic Committees, traveled to the forum in Malta at its own expense.
“This is further proof that the old leadership wants to obstruct the work. If we had not financed this participation ourselves, Malena Zamfirova would have been there alone, placed in the absurd situation of not having the support of her own Olympic Committee,” Letcheva said.
