A charity kickboxing tournament for Interior Ministry staff has raised more than €30,000 for the children of colleagues who were killed or injured in service. It was held on 8 November, Bulgarian Police Day.
For the first time, the money will go to the children of all staff who died while serving. Until now, the yearly campaign helped only the children of those killed or injured in the line of duty.
A total of 62 ministry employees fought in different categories. The crowd included children from the campaign and their parents, staff families and sports fans. Athletes, ministry leaders, business people and public figures also came.
Prizes were handed out by Kubrat Pulev, Interior Ministry Academy rector Chief Commissioner Prof. Dr Ilin Savov, DSc, youth and sports minister Encho Kiryazov and interior minister Ivan Demerdzhiev. Mario Ivanov, president of the Bulgarian Confederation of Kickboxing and Muay Thai, was also there.
"I have had many chances to say that the Interior Ministry is one big family, and every family looks after its children," Demerdzhiev said. He said the fighters showed humanity and compassion, and have big hearts.
Kiryazov said it was an honour to attend and called the cause a noble one. "Thank you for showing these children that they are not alone and that someone is thinking of them," he said. He added that a start has been made and said he hoped the event would become yearly.
Prof. Savov said compassion, honour and dignity met in the ring. He said people had gathered in the hall for the sport, respect for the profession and a wish to help in hard times.
Demerdzhiev said that from next year the tournament will be held every year and will include international competitors.