In just three days, the whole world will be the Olympics, and Bulgaria enters the largest winter sports forum with a focus on the performance of its talented and already proven athletes. This was stated by the President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC), Vesela Lecheva, in Burgas, days before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy.
According to her, the organization of the Olympics poses a serious challenge for the hosts, as the competitions will be held in several resorts. Nevertheless, the President of the BOC expressed confidence that Italy will cope with the ambitious program.
Asked by journalists whether the saga surrounding the leadership of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee has hindered the country's preparation for the Olympics, Lecheva admitted that this has had an impact. She commented that the work on preparation was hampered due to a limited staff available to the BOC. The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee still expressed confidence that this will not be felt by the athletes, coaches, and coaching teams who will be in Italy.
Lecheva arrived in Burgas for the opening of the European Championship in sport shooting for youths, juniors and girls – the first such competition in Bulgaria in nearly 30 years. Around 800 athletes from more than 40 countries are participating in the competition. She defined the hosting as a serious step for Bulgarian shooting sport and thanked the Municipality of Burgas and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for their support.
Lecheva stressed that the successful conduct of the European championship is an opportunity for Bulgaria to host major forums for men and women, noting the positive communication with the European Shooting Confederation and the interest in Bulgaria as a new destination for major sporting events.