site.btaJune 2, 1957: Wrestler Petko Sirakov Wins Bulgaria's First Gold Medal at World Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Turkiye

On June 2, 1957, Bulgarian wrestler Petko Sirakov won his country's first gold medal at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Turkiye.

The third World Freestyle Wrestling Championship was held in Istanbul, Turkiye from June 1 to 3, 1957. The Bulgarian national team had representatives in all categories. On June 2, Petko Sirakov, Bulgaria’s representative in the middleweight category, won the world champion title, after his competitors failed to better his points by the end of the competition. With his title in the 87 kg category Sirakov became the first Bulgarian World Champion not just in wrestling, but in Bulgaria’s sport history.

Two other Bulgarians, Murtaza Murtazov (73) and Yusein Mehmedov (87), won bronze. Bulgarian wrestlers competed in all eight categories and took forth place in the overall standings after Turkiye, the USSR and Iran.

In addition to winning the World Freestyle Wrestling Championship in 1957, Petko Sirakov won a silver medal at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Tehran in 1959. He was Balkan and republican champion in both styles, freestyle and Greco-Roman, in the up to 87 kg category many times. In 1956 at the Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, he won the silver medal in the Greco-Roman style of wrestling. He was awarded the titles: "Honored Master of Sports" and "Honored Coach".

BTA covered the championship extensively. Following is an excerpt of the article on the wrestlers’ arrival back home in Sofia:

Warm Welcome for Wrestlers Returning from Turkey

Sofia, June 6, 1957 (BTA) Today, a warm welcome was given at Sofia train station to the Bulgarian wrestlers participating at the World Freestyle Wrestling Championship in Istanbul. Many wrestling fans, physical culture figures, athletes and pioneers welcomed the world champion – Honored Master of Sports Petko Sirakov, the bronze medalists Yusein Mehmedov and Murtaza Murtazov with bouquets of flowers. The wrestlers were congratulated by the Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Union for Physical Culture and Sport, Stefan Petrov.

Gold medalist Petko Sirakov said: "In Istanbul, we tried to consolidate the successes recently achieved by Bulgarian wrestlers. Our team achieved fourth place, and we won three medals. My dream came true - I became world champion. Of course, I do not plan to stop there. Next year, at the World Championship in Budapest, I will strive to win this high title in classical style as well. I thank the people's government from the bottom of my heart for the good conditions it creates for us to live, work and play sports, without which this success is unthinkable."