Bulgarian NOC News
29 September 2026 - Find here the latest news from the National Olympic Committee: events, courses, general assemblies and elections, trophies and much more.
29 September 2026 - From 18 to 20 September, the city of Vratsa hosted the 19th National Youth Olympic Festival, bringing together more than 350 young athletes for three days of sport, education and celebration of the Olympic values. Participants competed in 10 sports, while Olympic education formed a key part of the programme through a session on Olympic History and Values, followed by an interactive quiz. Sustainability was also a central theme of the festival. Packaging waste was collected separately throughout the event, and dedicated educational sessions helped raise awareness of environmental responsibility and the role young people can play in protecting the environment. For the first time, the opening ceremony featured a special Parents’ Pledge, recognising the vital role families play in supporting young athletes throughout their sporting journey. The ceremony was attended by representatives of national and local institutions, including NOC President Vessela Letcheva, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Mayor of Vratsa, and the Minister of Youth and Sports. Info at www.bgolympic.org
29 June 2026 - On 23 June, Bulgaria celebrated Olympic Day alongside the Day of Bulgarian Olympians. Festivities began with the traditional torch relay organised by the National Sports Academy and concluded at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, where participants were welcomed by BOC President Vessela Letcheva and representatives of the sports community. Celebrations across the country included an adaptive swimming camp on the Black Sea coast for over 70 young people with disabilities. For the first time, the main event was held in Troyan, where Letcheva and Milano Cortina 2026 biathlon bronze medallist Lora Hristova joined the “Troyan Sports” Family Festival, bringing together more than 700 children who participated in a variety of sports activities. Info at www.bgolympic.org
27 April 2026 - To celebrate the 130th anniversary of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, in which Bulgaria took part, the NOC and the National Sports Academy (NSA) organised a major conference at the NSA in Sofia. Participants included NOC President Vessela Lecheva, the National Sports Academy leadership, professors and prominent Olympians. Speakers included Lozan Mitev, Director of the Educational and Olympic Centre, and Krasimir Petkov, NSA Rector. On this occasion, a National Sports Academy honorary medal was presented to Lora Hristova, bronze medallist in biathlon (individual) at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
22.5.2023 - IOC President Thomas Bach was in Bulgaria on Wednesday 17 May, to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the NOC. Welcomed by the President of the NOC, Olympic Champion Stefka Kostadinova, he joined hundreds of invited guests at a celebration of the 100th anniversary in the national capital, Sofia. There, they were joined by dozens of athletes and Bulgarian Olympians who demonstrated the success of Bulgaria in Olympic Competition. Bulgaria was one of the nations represented in the very first Olympic Games in 1896.
President Bach congratulated the Bulgarian NOC for the 230 medals it had won in its history. He told them that, per capita with such a medal haul, “this puts you among the leading Olympic nations in the world.”
Earlier, President Bach was welcomed by the President of the Bulgarian Republic, Rumen Radev, who is a strong supporter of the Olympic Movement. President Radev told President Bach, “In these turbulent times Olympic Sport is decisive in the promotion of peace, understanding, and in conflict resolution, and can convince people to take part in peaceful competition on the sports stage not on the battlefield.” He continued, “with the geopolitical situation as it is, we support the mission of sport and especially Olympic Sport to bring the entire world together in peaceful competition, and we fully support the IOC in all the steps it is taking.” President Bach welcomed his comments and added, “in these times, sport is the ‘glue’ that binds society together. Athletes must be able to compete and must be able to compete always against the best athletes in the world in fair competition.” The leaders also discussed gender parity and the important role that sport can play in integrating young people into society. For this to happen, they both agreed that government needs to work together with autonomous sports organisations.
On Thursday 18 May, President Bach validated a special postage stamp to mark the celebration of the Bulgarian NOC at the Central Post Office. Before leaving he also had time to visit the Olympic Educational and Studies Centre.
IOC Executive Board member and President of United World Wrestling (UWW) Nenad Lalovic and IOC Member and President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Spyros Capralos were also present in Sofia.
11 June 2021 - Boran Hadzhiev, Mayor of Chepelare Municipality in Bulgaria and coach of the country’s National Women’s Biathlon Team, has been awarded the 2019 IOC ‘Sport and Sustainable Architecture’ Trophy. The trophy was presented by Nenad Lalović, IOC EB member and President of United World Wrestling (UWW), and Stefka Kostadinova, President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. The ceremony was held at the National Sports Academy in Sofia, before the NOC General Assembly, in the presence of representatives of all the Olympic sports federations, NOC members, athletes and media. More info at www.bgolympic.org