site.btaInternational Olympic Committee President Confers with Bulgarian Head of State

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, who was in Sofia on the occasion of the centenary of the establishment of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC), met with the country's President Rumen Radev on Wednesday, Radev's press secretariat reported. The meeting was also attended by BOC President Stefka Kostadinova, Youth and Sports Minister Vessela Letcheva and European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos.

Radev said the mission of the Olympic movement is to promote peace and international understanding.

Bulgaria's role as one of the 14 countries which revived the ancient tradition by participating in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 was highlighted at the meeting. Speakers noted that Bulgaria boasts a rich tradition and many achievements in world sports and is a leading nation in terms of per-capita number of Olympic medals won.

Bach thanked Bulgaria for supporting the mission of the Olympic Games to encourage people to compete in sport, not in the field of political confrontation.

Radev stressed that it is very important to bring young people back to sport by providing them with necessary infrastructure, up-to-date methodology and qualified coaches. He thanked Bach for backing the initiative "Practice Sport with the President", aimed to popularize mass sport among young Bulgarians.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the IOC chief said he had congratulated President Radev for the achievements of Bulgarian athletes. "We discussed ways in which sport can unite us in these times that are difficult for all," Bach said.

Discussing the possible reinstatement of karate as an Olympic sport, the guest said it depends, above all, on the organization committees. The IOC takes account of their proposals, he added.

Bach also dwelled on the possibility that Russian athletes are admitted to the qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He said the IOC recommends allowing athletes from all countries to compete in the qualifying rounds, which are already underway. He said he hopes that more federations will fulfil the IOC recommendation. Bach added that he was happy to receive support from the Bulgarian President, who told him he would like all 206 national Olympic committees to field entrants in the Paris Games.