Valentina Dimitrova and Georgi Georgov with special bonuses for success in 2024, honors and awards for the most deserving in history, Minister Glushkov presented a commemorative plaque for services to Bulgarian sport
With a stylish ceremony, the Bulgarian Biathlon Federation celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding and honored the best athletes, coaches and figures. At the traditional “Closing of the season”, the Bulgaria Cup and Hopes Cup were awarded and the most deserving over the years and the prize winners of the last 12 months were awarded with cash prizes. The celebration in Volvo Center Sofia was attended by athletes, coaches, distinguished figures and legends of this sport. A special guest was the Minister of Youth and Sports, Georgi Glushkov, who presented the federation with a commemorative plaque for services to Bulgarian sport, after congratulating the biathlon people for their activities during the period and wishing them new successes.
The president of the Bulgarian Biathlon Federation, Atanas Furnadzhiev, also presented the minister with a commemorative plaque as a thank you to the state for the help, after which he congratulated the prize winners and recalled the greatest successes in the 40-year history. For the last 4 decades, Bulgarian biathlon has established itself as our most successful winter sport, and the balance sheet in the year of the anniversary provides everyone connected with it with reasons for pride and national self-confidence. “During its 40-year history, the Bulgarian Biathlon Federation recorded successes and built personalities, some of which entered the sports treasury of the country forever. The leadership of the federation expresses great gratitude and appreciation to all those who helped over the years for the development and prosperity of Bulgarian biathlon,” Furnadzhiev said.
In the period, the Olympic gold of Ekaterina Dafovska from Nagano 1998 with the only Bulgarian title in the Winter Olympics, the bronze of Irina Nikulchina from Salt Lake City 2002, the silver from the world championship of Tsvetanka Krasteva from Faistritz 1989 and Vladimir Iliev from Osterzund 2019 shine the brightest. the bronze medals of Iva Shkodreva from Lahti 1991, Katja Dafovska from Antholz 1995 and Oserble 1997, as well as the silver and bronze medals from the women’s relays from the world championships in Feistritz 1989 and Holmenkollen 1990 and the silver from the women’s team competition in Lahti 1991. Bulgaria won dozens of medals in the various competitions on the calendar of the International Biathlon Union. Among them European titles of Iva Shkodreva, Ekaterina Dafovska, Pavlina Filipova, Radka Popova, Krasimir Anev, Vladimir Iliev, as well as Iliev’s world title from the Summer World Championships in Chile Gradishte 2015, honors from youth championships of Ekaterina Dafovska, Nina Kadeva, Kiril Vasilev, Nia Dimitrova, Milena Todorova and many others. The world titles and medals of our young biathletes in the summer and winter version of biathlon in the last few seasons were also noted. The coaches Venceslav Iliev, Nikolay Bolchev, Nikolay Zakharov (posthumously), Yordan Penchev, Boran Hadjiev, Borislav Pankov were also honored.
In its 40-year history, Bulgaria hosted the Men’s and Women’s World Championships in 1993 in Borovets, two rounds of the World Cup, and hosted participants in two European Championships in 2007 and 2013 in Bansko. In 2004, the Congress of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) took place in Varna.
Currently, BF Biathlon is building a young team with a perspective for the next few Olympic cycles. The first results of this process are already visible with world titles and honors of our young biathletes in the summer and winter version of biathlon for youth and girls in the last few seasons: a European title from Poklyuka and a silver medal from the World Championships in Salt Lake City in Blagoi Todev in 2022, Todev and Lora Hristova’s 2023 European Championship medals in Madonna. Valentina Dimitrova’s bronze medal at the World Championships in Otepaa this year.
In the last two years, Bulgarian biathlon has won all the world titles in the summer disciplines for girls. This summer in Estonia, Valentina Dimitrova took the gold in the sprint and the pursuit, and Lora Hristova triumphed in the super sprint and became the runner-up in the pursuit. Last year, Lora Hristova won three world titles – in the supersprint, sprint and pursuit during the summer planet championship in Observable 2023, there Valentina Dimitrova earned bronze in the sprint. In January of this year, at the Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea, Georgi Georgov was the best performer of all Bulgarian athletes with 4th place in the individual start and 5th place in the sprint.
The last visit of the president of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) Ole Dalin and Dagmara Gerasimuk – director of the development of the headquarters, who were in our country in May to support Bulgaria’s possible bid to host the Youth Olympic Winter Games, was also very authoritative. in 2028 and because of the Conference of IBU member countries from Southern Europe organized in Bansko. Recently, Bulgaria has been among the most active members of the International Federation (IBU), and for three years the Olympic champion from Nagano 1998, Ekaterina Dafovska, has been among the most authoritative members of the IBU Executive Committee.
For several years, the new management of the Bulgarian Federation has set itself the goal of a permanent return of Bulgarian biathlon to the world elite – both with the achievements of our athletes and with the hosting of major championships and cups by improving the sports base and infrastructure. New sponsors were attracted, optimal conditions for training and competitions were provided, but there is a lot of work to upgrade, because biathlon is a sport that requires training every day.
Special awards for significant successes during the season were presented today to Valentina Dimitrova and Georgi Georgov. Thanks were expressed to the sponsors of the federation: “Moto Pfoe BG” EOOD, “Generali Zastrahovane” AD, “Vazovski Mashinostroytelni Zavodi” EAD, “Synergon Energy” EOOD, “Inbet Online” EOOD, Euro Games Technology EOOD.
At today’s ceremony, Ekaterina Dafovska – one of the icons of Bulgarian sport, sent a message to those present and to her future successors. After that, the prize winners received their trophies, presented to them by Furnajiev, and the Ceremony ended with the cutting of an anniversary cake and a joint photo as a souvenir of the celebration.
Here are all the winners of the Bulgaria Cup and Nadezhdi Cup today:
Bulgaria Cup
Men
Place Name Team Points
1 Vladimir Iliev Ajax 96
2 Blagoi Todev Bansko 2019 88
3 Anton Sinapov Biathlon – Chepelare 76
Women
Place Name Team Points
1 Maria Zdravkova NSA 96
2 Milena Todorova Ajax 88
3 Daniela Kadeva Bansko 2019 55
3 Desislava Dzhadjarova NSA 55
Young people
Place Name Team Points
1 Vasil Zashev NSA 100
2 Blagovest Stoyanov Bansko 2019 77
3 Tsvetan Danajiev Ajax/NSA 65
Girls
Place Name Team Points
1 Lora Hristova NSA 92
2 Valentina Dimitrova NSA 88
3 Stephanie Yolova NSA 69
Junior Senior
Place Name Team Points
1 Georgi Georgov Sapareva Banya 92
2 Nikolay Nikolov Sapareva Banya 80
3 Georgi Naumov Sapareva Banya/NSA 78
Girls Senior
Place Name Team Points
1 Bilyana Chavdarova Stambolovo/NSA 88
1 Raya Adzhamova Ajax 88
3 Irina Georgieva Ajax 84
Cup of Hopes
Junior junior
Place Name Team Points
1 Georgi Georgov Sapareva Banya 96
2 Nikolay Nikolov Sapareva Banya 84
3 Dimitar Aleksandrov Rozhen 72
Junior girls
Place Name Team Points
1 Raya Adzhamova Ajax 88
2 Nikol Klenovska Bansko 2019 84
3 Desislava Mincheva Sapareva Banya 70
Senior Boys
Place Name Team Points
1 Ioan Shamov Ambaritsa 88
2 Martin Hristov Ajax 77
3 Maxim Shushkov Sapareva Banya 71
Girls Senior
Place Name Team Points
1 Nikol Petkova Ambaritsa 64
2 Nikita Atanasova Ajax 59
3 Stefani Yordanova Ambaritsa 56
Boys Jr
Place Name Team Points
1 Denis Tuyov Sapareva Banya 117
2 Veniamin Pavlov Ajax 105
3 Alexander Yakimov Ajax 102
Junior Girls
Place Name Team Points
1 Nikol Gaberova Bansko 2019 125
2 Maria Jovichina Sapareva Banya 106
3 Gabriela Georgieva Ajax 105
3 Tsvetelina Genkovska Ajax 105
Guys
Place Name Team Points
1 Danislav Terziev Ambaritsa 125
2 Ivan Kotirkov Bansko 2019 121
3 Viktor Hitrov Ambaritsa 101
Girls
Place Name Team Points
1 Ivayla Georgieva Ajax 125
2 Ivanina Gaberova Bansko 2019 117
3 Bozhidara Durchova Bansko 2019/Individual 99