World Rowing Under 19 Championships Open with Ceremony in Plovdiv

Yoana Vodenicharova, Dimitar Petkov

The World Rowing Under 19 Championships open with a ceremony in Plovdiv, August 5, 2026 (BTA Photo/Boyan Botev)

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria,

05.08.2026 23:00

(BTA)

The World Rowing Under 19 Championships opened with a ceremony at the Stadium of Philippopolis in Plovdiv on Wednesday. The competition will take place at the city's regatta venue from August 6 to 9.

The ceremony was attended by Youth and Sports Minister Encho Keryazov, Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) President Vesela Lecheva, World Rowing President Jean-Christophe Rolland, Plovdiv Deputy Mayor Nikolay Buhalov, Bulgarian Rowing Federation President Svilen Neykov, as well as representatives of all participating teams, athletes and coaches.

Welcoming the participants, Keryazov said: "It is a pleasure for me to be here — in one of Bulgaria's oldest and most beautiful cities. I wish all the athletes success. Rowing can be a shining example because we are all in the same boat, and it is important that we row in the same direction."

BOC President Lecheva wished the athletes success at the upcoming championship.

Recalling that Plovdiv also hosted World Rowing Cup II in June, World Rowing President Rolland said: "World Rowing is back in Plovdiv and is happy to return to a city that has become such a familiar and reliable home for world rowing."

Plovdiv Deputy Mayor and two-time champion from the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games Nikolay Buhalov thanked World Rowing for returning to Plovdiv once again.

A total of 655 athletes from 54 countries will compete in 14 boat classes at the World Rowing Under 19 Championships in Plovdiv. Bulgaria will be represented by six boats and 16 athletes.

In the men's events, Bulgaria's representatives will be Daniel Marinov (single sculls), Ilian Nikolov and Petar Penkov (double sculls), Stefan Kostov, Stoichko Stoichkov, Filip Yordanov and Daniel Petkov (quadruple sculls), and Yuliyan Shopkin, Atanas Borisov, Aleksandar Milanov and Valeri Dimitrov (coxless four).

In the women's events, this country will be represented by Rumyana Stoyanova (single sculls) and Mariya Chakarova, Lilia Gospodinova, Viktoria Hristova and Svetozara Georgieva (quadruple sculls).

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