2024-09-08 12:45:02
The volleyball summer for the Bulgarian national teams has officially ended. The end was marked by yesterday’s final of the European Championship for youth under 20 years of age, which was the first for our country in this age and direction for 14 years.
Miroslav Zhivkov’s team won the silver medals and thus contributed to our most successful performance among the teenagers for the last four years.
Bulgaria ends the season for the national teams with a total of 6 prizes – two first, three second and one third. Thus, we repeat our achievement of last year in terms of number of medals, but with more advanced rankings.
In 2023 we had one first, two second and three third places. This summer, homegrown talent played in a total of four major championship finals. The balance is gold and silver from European, gold, silver and two bronze from Balkaniad.
1st place at the European Championship for women under 18;
2nd place at the European Championship for men under 20;
1st place at the Balkan Championship for men under 20;
2nd place at the Balkan Championship for women under 18;
3rd place at the Balkan Championship for women under 20;
2nd place at the Balkan Championship for women under 16 years old.
With these awards, we also maintain an upward trend from the last four years (in 2021 there were 4 medals, and in 2022 – 5).
Bulgaria participated in a total of nine tournaments this summer. Our performance is complemented by ninth place at the Under-17 Men’s World Championship, sixth place at the Under-20 Women’s European Championship and tenth place at the Under-18 European Men’s Championship.
“It was a long, hard and emotional summer – commented Nikolay Ivanov, chief coordinator of the national teams. – There were ups and downs, there were disappointments, there were also tears of joy. In sports you don’t always win, but the attitude towards the whole process is important. I use the opportunity to thank all the athletes for their efforts throughout the summer, the coaching staffs and their managers, the people who helped in one way or another to ensure and implement the entire sports calendar.”
Our country also hosted four championships: the historic first world championship for men under 17, EuroVolley for women under 20 and men under 18, as well as the balkaniad for women under 16.