site.btaBOC President-elect Lecheva Takes Part in European Sports Meeting with IOC President Coventry, EU Commissioner Micallef

Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) President-elect Vesela Lecheva took part in a meeting at the European Commission in Brussels on Monday, at the invitation of EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef. Later, she attended an event hosted by International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, who is on her first visit to Belgium since assuming office, BOC announced on Tuesday.

The presidents of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of EU member states, together with members of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Executive Committee held discussions on the future of sport with the EU Commissioner for Youth, Culture and Sport at the European Commission headquarters.

The second meeting of the day, led by Coventry, brought together not only the presidents of the National Olympic Committees, but also representatives of international federations, sponsors, and other stakeholders in the Olympic movement.

“The first working meeting was part of the European Commission’s consultations on A Strategic Vision for Sport in Europe: Reinforcing the European Sport Model. I thanked Commissioner Micallef for bringing together, for the first time, representatives of the NOCs, the leadership of the EOC, and the IOC. European sport is one of the pillars of the Olympic movement, and this was acknowledged by all participants,” Lecheva said.

NOC presidents emphasized the need for sustainable and adequate funding within the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 for sports organizations and clubs. They also called for continued support through Erasmus+ Sport and for greater integration of sport into other EU funding programmes.

“During the discussion, we raised the issue of increasing investment in sports infrastructure, which is crucial for most European countries. This would require shifting the focus of some programmes that currently prioritize human capital development,” Lecheva added.

“Our goal is to set a gold-medal standard for coordination between the EU and the Olympic movement. Our joint efforts to promote good governance in sport and uphold the shared values enshrined in both the EU treaties and the Olympic Charter are essential for strengthening sport across Europe, from amateurs to professional athletes,” Commissioner Micallef stated.

At the 7th European Evening of Sport, organized by the EOC EU Office and attended by Coventry as a special guest, the focus fell on Europe’s contribution to the Olympic movement. IOC President Coventry provided an update on the Fit for the Future consultation process held in Lausanne, in which Lecheva participated as a member of an IOC commission. The challenges surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games in Milano Cortina were also discussed, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“EU support for the Olympic movement is crucial, and the EOC, together with our National Olympic Committees, is proud to be a reliable and strategic partner of the European Commission,” EOC President Spyros Capralos said.

Participants in the Brussels forum underscored the importance of a unified system of sports governance in Europe, grounded in values and democracy and based on the responsible autonomy of sporting governing bodies.

The newly elected BOC leadership, headed by Lecheva, has not yet been registered in the Commercial Register due to ongoing court appeals. On May 17, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it had provisionally recognised the results of the BOC Elective General Assembly on March 19, 2025, confirming that Lecheva and her team are the only individuals authorised to represent the BOC to the IOC, within the Olympic Movement, and at all IOC-recognised events and Games.