https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/rss Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:44:57 +0300 en hourly 1 https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1186086-burgas-to-host-junior-orange-bowl-european-playoff-series https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1186086-burgas-to-host-junior-orange-bowl-european-playoff-series Sat, 15 Aug 2026 14:57:45 +0300 Bulgaria will host one of the major events on the European calendar for young tennis players, with the Junior Orange Bowl European Playoff Series taking place in Burgas October 4-11, the Bulgarian Tennis Federation said. The official European playoffs offer top U12 and U14 players from Tennis Europe member federations a direct route to the Junior Orange Bowl 2026 in Miami. The tournament is organized by the Bulgarian Tennis Federation in partnership with EDGE International and Burgas Municipality. The competition will be held on 10 clay courts at Park Ezero in four categories: U12 and U14, boys and girls. The top four players in each category will qualify for the main draw of the Junior Orange Bowl in Miami, giving a total of 16 European players a place in the event. The main draw will feature 32 players in each category. Twenty-eight places will be allocated based on ITF Juniors, Tennis Europe and national rankings, as well as nominations from national federations, while the organizers will have four wild cards in each category. The tournament will begin with a group stage, with eight groups of four players competing in a round-robin format. Applications must be submitted online by September 7, with the official list of accepted players due to be published on September 9. Players not directly accepted may be invited to a pre-qualification tournament starting on September 27. The top four players in each category will qualify for the Junior Orange Bowl European Playoff Series. Entry fees will be fully refunded to players who are neither accepted into the main tournament nor invited to the pre-qualification event. Sport Diana Dukovska Kremena Mladenova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185971-stiliana-nikolova-wins-silver-in-all-around-at-rhythmic-gymnastics-world-champio https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185971-stiliana-nikolova-wins-silver-in-all-around-at-rhythmic-gymnastics-world-champio Sat, 15 Aug 2026 08:39:00 +0300 Stiliana Nikolova won the silver medal in the individual all-around at the 2026 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. She won Bulgaria’s first medal of the championships and secured the country a quota place for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Nikolova finished with a total score of 117.600 points, earning 30.150 on hoop, 29.250 on ball, 29.000 on clubs and 29.200 on ribbon. The result makes Nikolova world all-around runner-up for the second consecutive time, following her silver medal in Rio in 2025. She is also the reigning European all-around runner-up, having won silver in Varna in 2026. The Bulgarian gymnast now has 12 World Championship medals, one gold, eight silver and three bronze, as well as 18 European Championship medals, including nine gold, six silver and three bronze. The competition was extremely demanding and closely contested, with the final standings decided by the performances on the third and fourth apparatus. Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev claimed the world title with 119.500 points. In front of her home crowd, the Olympic and European champion became World champion for the third consecutive time. Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli took the bronze with 117.550 points. Nikolova beat Raffaeli by just 0.050 points, repeating the podium finish from the 2025 World Championships. Nikolova was extremely happy after securing the silver medal. "I’m definitely pleased with myself. I’m especially happy that I secured the Olympic quota, that I’m a world silver medalist, and overall I’m very satisfied and relieved," she said after the competition. "This format is very demanding, and we are prepared for it. I realized that the competition was extremely strong and very difficult, but we were ready for that," she added. Nikolova also welcomed the emergence of a new generation of young gymnasts, saying it was good for the sport. "It’s a very good thing. After all, this is sport, we develop, we grow, we become more popular. This will give us, the more experienced gymnasts, even more motivation and momentum," she said. Nikolova stressed that she remains focused on improving and continuing to develop as an athlete. "Nothing is a matter of life or death. This wasn’t the last competition where an Olympic quota could be won. I’m very happy that I managed to secure it at the first opportunity. We have two years until the Olympic Games. That’s not such a long time, so I’ll keep working on myself and continue to develop," the gymnast said. She added that she would approach Sunday’s apparatus finals with the same level of determination. "There is a lot of responsibility in the finals as well. Sunday is another important competition. I have three finals, so I’ll approach them very seriously," Nikolova concluded. Sport Risida Dimitrova BTA special correspondent Iva Krasteva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185921-stiliana-nikolova-takes-second-place-after-first-three-rotations-at-rhythmic-gym https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185921-stiliana-nikolova-takes-second-place-after-first-three-rotations-at-rhythmic-gym Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:57:48 +0300 Stiliana Nikolova took second place in the individual all-around final after the first three of four rotations at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. The medalist will also win quotas for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Nikolova has a total of 88.350 points. Currently leading is Darja Varfolomeev (Germany) with 89.850 points, and third is Akmaral Yerekesheva (Kazakhstan) with 87.450. Nikolova began her participation in the final with clubs and after an excellent performance received a score of 29.000 points, of which 13.000 difficulty, 7.800 execution, 8.200 artistry. Valfolomeev made mistakes in hoop (28.300), as did Italy's Sofia Raffaeli in ball (28.250). Yerekesheva led the standings after 30.050 points in clubs. In the second rotation of group A, Nikolova played strongly with ribbon and initially received 28.900 points (12.500, 8.250, 8.150). The coaching staff filed a challenge for difficulty with the apparatus and it was honored and the score was increased to 29.200 (12.800, 8.250, 8.150). Valfolomeev also had a high score for her performance with ball - 30.050, as did Raffaeli in clubs - 30.250. In the third apparatus change, Nikolova was on hoop and the judges gave her 30.150 points (13.500, 8.350, 8.300). Varfolomeev topped the standings with 31.500 on clubs, and Rafaeli received 28.650 on ribbon. Sport Iva Krasteva Atanas Malakchiev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185723-2026-uec-mtb-downhill-european-championships-kick-off-in-vitosha-mountain https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185723-2026-uec-mtb-downhill-european-championships-kick-off-in-vitosha-mountain Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:02:34 +0300 The 2026 UEC MTB Downhill European Championships officially opened on Friday afternoon with a short ceremony in the finish area of the Vitoshko Lale track. On Saturday and Sunday, Sofia and Vitosha Mountain will host the country’s most spectacular extreme sports event of the year. At the opening ceremony, Sofia Deputy Mayor Georgi Klisurski and Sofia European Capital of Sport Foundation Organizational Secretary Anatoly Iliev welcomed the competitors and guests. They wished the participants and organizers success, highlighting the efforts of Sofia Municipality to provide more opportunities for sport and tourism, as well as greater access to nature, green spaces and the beauty of the mountain located close to the city. Some of the world’s top mountain bikers made their first test runs on the tracks, expressing their admiration for Vitosha Mountain and the conditions it offers for mountain biking. The organizers announced that 310 competitors from 26 countries will take part over the weekend. The competition will be held on the Vitoshko Lale track, which features a new final section built in accordance with UEC and UCI international standards for top-level competitions. Qualifying rounds will take place on Saturday, while the finals are scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m.  Special spectator zones have been set up along the track, offering fans a close-up view of its most technical and spectacular sections. The championship is jointly organized by the Bulgarian Cycling Federation and the European Cycling Union (UEC), hosted by Vitosha Ski AD, with the support of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Sofia Municipality, and the Sofia European Capital of Sport Foundation. Sport Dimitar Velyov Yoana Vodenicharova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185373-a-record-11-000-participants-expected-at-wizz-air-sofia-marathon-2026 https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185373-a-record-11-000-participants-expected-at-wizz-air-sofia-marathon-2026 Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:23:11 +0300 A record 11,000 runners are expected to take part in the Wizz Air Sofia Marathon 2026, which will feature five events over two days, organizers said. The marathon will be held on October 10 and 11 on the streets of the Bulgarian capital. Following a record-setting edition last season, which attracted more than 8,000 participants from 66 countries, organizers have increased the 2026 capacity to 11,000 places amid even stronger international interest. This year, the event received the prestigious World Athletics Road Race Label, recognizing high standards in organization, safety, course design and the participation of elite athletes. For the ninth consecutive year, Wizz Air, the largest airline by market share in Bulgaria, is the general sponsor of the Sofia Marathon, supporting an active and healthy lifestyle and promoting Bulgaria as an attractive sports tourism destination. This year's marathon will feature five events spread over two days, allowing participants to choose a challenge suited to their level of preparation. On October 10, the program will include mass 5-km and 10-km races, while October 11 will feature the 21-km race, the classic 42.195-km marathon and the new Relay Run – a 2 x 21-km relay in which two participants split the full marathon distance. The Wizz Air Sofia Marathon course passes some of the capital's most impressive landmarks, including the National Art Gallery at Knyaz Alexander I Square, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the National Assembly, the Largo, Sveta Nedelya Square, Alabin Street, Vasil Levski Boulevard and Lions' Bridge. The race weekend will also feature a marathon expo, music stages in the start-finish area and along the course, partner activities and dedicated support zones. All runners who successfully finish will receive a medal, while cash prizes will be awarded to those finishing in the top three, six and 10 places in the 10-km, 21-km and 42-km events, respectively. In addition, the starting package for all participants includes a EUR 20 Wizz Air travel voucher. "We are delighted to be the general sponsor of the Sofia Marathon once again. Running is one of the most accessible and inclusive sports – qualities that fully align with Wizz Air's mission to make travel in Europe and beyond more accessible and convenient. In 2026, the marathon's program is richer and more accessible than ever, while the strong international interest is further proof of the event's significance. We are proud to support an initiative that brings together people from different parts of the world, united by the courage to take on challenges, the desire to explore new horizons and discover new places – values that inspire every journey. Let’s WIZZ, Sofia!" said Salvatore Gabriele Imperiale, Corporate Communications Manager at Wizz Air. "For another year, we are pleased to continue our cooperation with Wizz Air, which gives the marathon additional opportunities to attract competitors from around the world, reputable companies and elite runners. This year, we have made efforts to enable even more people to take part in this true celebration of sport. The recognition from Wizz Air, as well as the certification by World Athletics, are testament to the quality of the event," added Anatoli Iliev, chief organizer of the Wizz Air Sofia Marathon. Wizz Air's commitment to promoting an active lifestyle extends beyond the Sofia Marathon. For more than a decade, Wizz Air has played a leading role in encouraging fitness and an active lifestyle through its WIZZ Run Series initiative, sponsoring marathons across Europe. The airline encourages amateur runners to take part in as many Wizz Air-sponsored European marathons as possible, with runners earning points for every kilometer completed. The top male and female runners in Europe also receive special prizes from Wizz Air – an All You Can Fly membership and WIZZ travel vouchers worth EUR 1,000 and EUR 800, respectively. Registration for the Wizz Air Sofia Marathon is open on the event's official website until September 20. Discounts of between 5% and 20%, depending on the number of participants registered, are available for groups of five or more runners. Late registration will be available from September 21 to 30, subject to availability of race numbers. For the first time this year, participants will also be able to track in real time the number of remaining places in each event. Sport Petya Dikova Dimitar Velyov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185233-cska-sofia-advance-to-europa-league-play-offs-despite-maccabi-tel-aviv-defeat https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185233-cska-sofia-advance-to-europa-league-play-offs-despite-maccabi-tel-aviv-defeat Fri, 14 Aug 2026 07:32:05 +0300 Bulgarian football club CSKA Sofia advanced to the play-off round of the Europa League, although they lost 1-3 at home to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the second leg of the tournament's third qualifying round late on Thursday evening. A week earlier, CSKA won the first leg 3-0, thanks to which they claimed an aggregate victory of 4-3. At the final hurdle before the league phase of UEFA's second-tier European club competition, coach Hristo Yanev's side will face Greek club OFI Crete. Even if they are eliminated, however, CSKA will drop into the Conference League. This means the Bulgarian squad are guaranteed to play in the league phase of one of the two European competitions and will have at least eight more matches, including those in the play-off round. Thursday's match, played at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia, could be described as a formality, but CSKA could have faced serious trouble had Stefano Sensi not scored in the 66th minute. CSKA head coach Hristo Yanev described eliminating Maccabi Tel Aviv and reaching the Europa League play-off round as a major achievement, securing the club European football at least until New Year's Eve. "For us, this is a great success. Look at where we were a year ago and where we will be now," Yanev said after the game. He admitted: "We weren't able to do what we did in the first match. Maccabi outplayed us in many respects today and made things difficult for us. We are gaining experience and need to see what we have to improve going forward." Sport Valentin Evstatiev Georgi Krumov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185208-bulgaria-s-aleksandra-nacheva-wins-bronze-at-as-won-the-bronze-medal-in-the-trip https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185208-bulgaria-s-aleksandra-nacheva-wins-bronze-at-as-won-the-bronze-medal-in-the-trip Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:00:08 +0300 Bulgaria's Aleksandra Nacheva won the bronze medal in the triple jump on the fourth day of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Nacheva, who will turn 25 next week, recorded a jump of 14.40 metres on her second attempt, with a following wind of 3.4 m/s. The medal is Nacheva’s first at a major senior championship. In 2018, she became Youth Olympic champion in Buenos Aires and world U20 champion in Tampere. Nacheva also won Bulgaria’s second medal at the European Championships in Birmingham, following Bozhidar Saraboyukov’s bronze in the men’s long jump two days earlier, and the country’s 42nd medal overall at continental championships. The other Bulgarian finalist in the event, Gabriela Petrova, placed second-to-last among the 12 finalists with a jump of 13.75 metres. Serbia’s Ivana Spanovic, with a jump of 14.06 metres, rounded out the top eight, who advanced to three additional attempts to determine the medalists. Italy’s Dariya Derkach, the 2023 European indoor silver medallist in Istanbul, produced a season-leading mark in Europe and a personal best of 14.60 metres. The 33-year-old Derkach, who was born in Ukraine, secured her first gold medal at a major championship. Belgium’s Saliyya Guisse landed at 14.46 metres, enough to take silver and claim her first medal at a major championship at the age of 30. Nacheva improved by one place on her result at the European Championships in Rome in 2024 and this time earned a place on the podium. Sport Dimitar Velyov Yoana Vodenicharova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185028-bulgarian-football-union-hosts-uefa-meeting-on-grassroots-football-development https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185028-bulgarian-football-union-hosts-uefa-meeting-on-grassroots-football-development Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:34:25 +0300 The Bulgarian Football Union hosted a two-day UEFA Grassroots Development Meeting on developing grassroots football in Bulgaria, BFU said on Thursday. The meeting took place at National Football Base Boyana and focused on expanding access to football and building a sustainable environment for its development. UEFA was represented by Poland’s Przemyslaw Pretkiewicz of the UEFA Grassroots Football Panel. During the two-day programme, he joined BFU representatives in working discussions on the main areas and future goals for grassroots football development. The meetings covered the main strands of the four-year grassroots football development plan and UEFA programmes in this field. Particular attention was paid to the UEFA Football in Schools programme, initiatives and activities to develop football in schools, and cooperation among the BFU, the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Club Development/Quality Mark initiative, aimed at developing clubs and raising standards within them, was another main topic. The second part of the programme focused on coach education, child safeguarding, football for people with disabilities, flexible playing formats and effective player development pathways. Pretkiewicz also met with BFU President Georgi Ivanov as part of the programme. They discussed the BFU’s strategic priorities from 2026 to 2030, the development of the BFU Academy and other key areas connected with the long-term development of Bulgarian football. The final part of the UEFA Grassroots Development Meeting covered the UEFA Grassroots Charter, the annual report and data from UEFA’s national grassroots football survey. The visit concluded with a summary of the discussions and the main findings from the two-day programme. The meeting formed part of the BFU’s ongoing work to develop grassroots football sustainably and create more opportunities to play, from school and club football to coach education and the development of young players. In July 2025, Ivanov was elected vice-chair of UEFA’s Football Committee. The committee focused on developing football at national and club levels, while BFU Executive Director Andrey Petrov joined the committee responsible for UEFA’s HatTrick programme, which supported strategic football development through infrastructure projects. A month earlier, BFU representatives exchanged experience with the Hellenic Football Federation on amateur football and the organization of regional men’s and youth championships. Sport Kaloyan Kirilov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185030-stiliana-nikolova-advances-to-clubs-and-ribbon-finals-at-world-championships-in- https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1185030-stiliana-nikolova-advances-to-clubs-and-ribbon-finals-at-world-championships-in- Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:27:00 +0300 World all-around silver medalist from Rio de Janeiro 2025, Stiliana Nikolova, has secured places in the clubs and ribbon finals, as the qualification rounds for those two apparatus have concluded at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. The Bulgarian gymnast advanced to the top eight with the second-highest score in clubs, earning 29.250 points, and the fifth-highest score in ribbon with 28.300 points. Nikolova currently ranks second in the all-around qualification standings, having been overtaken by Germany's Darja Varfolomeev. The two-time world champion received an outstanding 30.050 points for her ribbon routine. Italy's Sofia Raffaeli still holds the highest score of the competition so far, having earned 30.100 points for her hoop routine on the previous day. Daria Varfolomeev leads the all-around standings with a total of 89.000 points, ahead of Stiliana Nikolova with 87.350, Sofia Ilteriakova (competing under neutral status) with 85.600, and the rest of the field. The other Bulgarian gymnast, Eva Brezalieva, did not qualify for the clubs or ribbon finals. She placed 18th in clubs with 26.750 points and scored 27.050 points on ribbon. In the all-around standings, the Bulgarian currently ranks 12th with a total of 81.150 points. She will have to wait until the end of the competition day to find out whether she will remain in the top 18 and qualify for tomorrow's all-around final. Four more qualification groups are still to compete later on Thursday, but they will perform only with the hoop and ball. Around midnight Bulgarian time, it will be known which gymnasts have qualified for the individual all-around final as well as the hoop and ball apparatus finals. Sport Petya Petrova Iva Krasteva https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184892-bulgaria-s-no-1-athlete-in-2025-saraboyukov-happy-with-european-long-jump-bronz https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184892-bulgaria-s-no-1-athlete-in-2025-saraboyukov-happy-with-european-long-jump-bronz Thu, 13 Aug 2026 15:23:30 +0300 Bulgaria’s No. 1 track and field athlete for 2025, Bozhidar Saraboyukov, returned to Bulgaria on Thursday after winning bronze in the long jump at the European Championships in Birmingham, England, voicing his happiness with the achievement. “I’m certainly very happy to be coming home with another medal. It shows a certain consistency in my performances,” Saraboyukov said at Sofia Airport. He said the initial emotions had subsided and he had begun to fully appreciate what he had achieved. Saraboyukov added that he felt somewhat unusual about winning the medal because the competition in the long jump sector had unfolded so quickly that he already had few memories of what had happened during the event. He explained that before his final attempt, he was in fourth place and needed to jump farther than 8.18 metres to move up the standings. He said he was confident he could do so because he knew he would be willing to take the necessary risk, although he regretted having to do it at the very last moment. Saraboyukov also said he believed he had accumulated enough points to qualify for the Diamond League Final, even if he were to miss the next two competitions, although he intends to compete in them. He said he would take three or four days off before returning to competition at the next Diamond League meeting. The Bulgarian athlete acknowledged that the long season had taken a toll both physically and mentally. After his short break, he said, he would once again devote himself fully to training and improving his performances. Sport Konstantin Karagyozov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184617-bulgarian-olympic-committee-consulate-discuss-preparations-for-2028-la-games https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184617-bulgarian-olympic-committee-consulate-discuss-preparations-for-2028-la-games Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:34:00 +0300 Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) Secretary General Danail Dimov met with Bulgaria's Consul General in Los Angeles Boyko Hristov to discuss the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in the Californian city and opportunities for support from the Bulgarian diplomatic mission for the Bulgarian delegation, BOC said on Thursday. BOC aims to establish a place in Los Angeles, where Bulgarian team athletes, coaches, officials, guests and fans can come together as a community. Over the coming months, the two sides will actively explore the available options, with the main challenges being the large distances between venues across the metropolis and rising costs associated with organizing major events. The Los Angeles Olympics will take place from July 14 to 30, 2028. Sport Kristina Ivanova Dimitar Velyov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184152-world-athletics-measures-and-certifies-sofia-1k-run-route https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1184152-world-athletics-measures-and-certifies-sofia-1k-run-route Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:36:00 +0300 The route for the first edition of the Sofia 1K Run was officially measured and certified by World Athletics, the organizers from Darko Athletics Team said on Wednesday. The race, starting and finishing on General Gurko Street, will take place on October 4. This is the first time Bulgaria has had a licensed 1-kilometre course. The run will pass through iconic Sofia landmarks, such as the Vasil Levski National Stadium, Ariana Lake and Eagles' Bridge. Race director Daniel Dukov said that the most important thing is for participants to have confidence in the distance. He added: "When you line up at the start of a 1 km race, you need to know that there is exactly 1 km ahead of you. That is why it was important for us that the course be measured to international standards by a top-level specialist. On October 4, Sofia will have the chance to see something different – a fast and exciting road race right in the heart of the city." The race is organized in partnership with Sofia Municipality. Runners can register at sofia1krun.com. Sport Nikolay Zabov Dimitar Velyov https://www.bta.bg/en/bg-world/1183866-bulgarian-lora-hristova-invited-to-compete-in-elite-city-biathlon-dresden https://www.bta.bg/en/bg-world/1183866-bulgarian-lora-hristova-invited-to-compete-in-elite-city-biathlon-dresden Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:27:00 +0300 Bulgarian athlete Lora Hristova earned a major accolade when she received an invitation to be among the 10 world-class biathletes to compete in the elite City Biathlon Dresden. The race will take place on August 23 on the streets of the German city. It has enjoyed huge popularity in recent years, making it one of the most prestigious events on the biathlon calendar. Alongside Bulgaria's Olympic bronze medallist from Milano Cortina, the starting field will feature Italy's Olympic champion Lisa Vittozzi, Germans Vanessa Voigt and Janina Hettich-Walz, Sweden's Anna Magnusson, Austria's Anna Gandler, Belgium's Lotte Lie, Estonia's Regina Ermits, Czechia's Tereza Vobornikova, and Switzerland's Amy Baserga. The 2.3-kilometre course through the streets of Dresden runs along the banks of the Elbe River and passes the city's famous opera house and City Hall. The temporary shooting range will have grandstands accommodating more than 5,000 spectators. The competition will feature qualifying races in the early afternoon, followed by the finals after 5 p.m. local time. Hristova is the second Bulgarian to receive the prestigious honour of being among the stars invited to the event after in 2025, Milena Todorova won bronze on Dresden's improvised street course in an exceptionally strong field featuring some of the world's leading biathletes. Todorova led the race until the closing stages, when she was overtaken. A fiercely contested finish was decided by a photo finish, with tenths of a second separating the winner from the runners-up. BG World Atanas Vasilev Petya Dikova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183766-bozhidar-saraboyukov-wins-bronze-in-long-jump-bulgaria-s-first-european-outdoor https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183766-bozhidar-saraboyukov-wins-bronze-in-long-jump-bulgaria-s-first-european-outdoor Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:28:05 +0300 Bozhidar Saraboyukov won Bulgaria’s first medal at a European Athletics Championships in eight years, taking bronze in the men’s long jump at the continental championships. The 22-year-old Saraboyukov secured third place with a best jump of 8.26 metres on his sixth and final attempt, made into a headwind of 1.7 m/s. He also recorded four other jumps beyond eight metres in the final – 8.03, 8.05, 8.09 and 8.10 metres. The bronze adds another major senior medal to Saraboyukov’s collection, following his gold at the 2025 European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, and bronze at the 2026 World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland. Bulgaria’s previous medal at the European outdoor championships came in 2018, when Mirela Demireva won silver in the women’s high jump in Berlin. Greek star Miltiadis Tentoglou won his fourth consecutive European outdoor title with a best jump of 8.44 metres, while Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer took silver with 8.29 metres. Gerson Balde of Portugal, the 2026 world indoor champion, briefly moved into third place with 8.18 metres on his final attempt, but Saraboyukov responded immediately with his best jump of the competition to reclaim the bronze. Sport Dimitar Velyov Veneta Litkova https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183697-bulgaria-s-levski-eliminates-kazakhstan-s-kairat-qualifies-for-play-offs-of-uef https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183697-bulgaria-s-levski-eliminates-kazakhstan-s-kairat-qualifies-for-play-offs-of-uef Tue, 11 Aug 2026 21:00:03 +0300 Bulgaria's Levski won the rematch against Kairat Almaty 1-0 and eliminated the Kazakh team with a two-goal aggregate in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. With this victory, the Bulgarian football team secured at least a spot in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League. In the play-off, they will face Greek champions AEK Athens. Reinaldo scored the only goal in the 13th minute. The Brazilian has now scored three times in the Champions League and five times since the start of the season. Levski entered the second leg of the third qualifying round with a 1-0 advantage after beating Kairat Almaty in Sofia on August 4.  Levski has secured at least EUR 9.6 million from UEFA’s prize pool for this season, according to calculations by the Football Meets Data platform. If the team manages to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the second time in 20 years - since 2006, the Bulgarian champion will earn at least EUR 18 million from the tournament’s prize pool (not including revenue from ticket sales, television rights, and merchandise related to all of the team's matches) by the start of the next calendar year at the latest. Sport Dimitrina Solakova Ivaylo Georgiev https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183446-bulgaria-extends-contract-of-gianlorenzo-blengini-as-coach-of-national-men-s-vol https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1183446-bulgaria-extends-contract-of-gianlorenzo-blengini-as-coach-of-national-men-s-vol Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:07:00 +0300 Gianlorenzo Blengini's contract as head coach of the Bulgarian men's national volleyball team has been extended for another two years, through 2028, the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation (BVF) said Tuesday. The federation has also agreed to Blengini's request to take on a club coaching position in Italy after the Bulgarian national team's 2026 campaign. The two commitments will be combined during the second phase of his contract. "Appointing Gianlorenzo Blengini at the beginning of 2024 was one of the best steps taken for the development of Bulgarian volleyball," BVF President Lyubomir Ganev said. He praised Blengini's work with young players, saying they had developed to the highest world level under his guidance. Ganev added that the federation understood Blengini's desire to return to the intensity of club competitions while continuing to lead Bulgaria's national team. "In his heart, Bulgaria has truly become his home away from home," Ganev said. Blengini said his commitment to Bulgaria and the team's goals remained unchanged, with qualification for and success at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as the major objective. "There will be no change in my work or dedication to the national team," Blengini said. "Together with these great boys, we will continue with focus, motivation and total commitment to strive to perform in a way that makes Bulgaria proud." Blengini said he was pleased with the players' progress but stressed that past achievements must remain in the past. "We must want to become better every day," he said. Sport Georgi Krumov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182680-bulgaria-sets-national-record-in-men-s-4x200m-freestyle-relay https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182680-bulgaria-sets-national-record-in-men-s-4x200m-freestyle-relay Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:33:02 +0300 Bulgaria set a men's 4x200m freestyle relay national record at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris on Monday. The Bulgarian quartet of Petar Mitsin, Miroslav Terziev, Daren Kirilov and Vasil Tushev clocked 7:17.98, lowering the previous national record of 7:18.83 set at the 2022 European Aquatics Championships in Rome. The team ranked 16th overall across the two heats and failed to qualify for the final. Sport Kaloyan Kirilov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182446-bulgarian-athlete-viktoria-angelova-wins-world-u20-triple-jump-title https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182446-bulgarian-athlete-viktoria-angelova-wins-world-u20-triple-jump-title Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:46:05 +0300 Seventeen-year-old Bulgarian athlete Viktoria Angelova became world champion in the triple jump at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Coached by Georgi Pomashki, Angelova leapt 13.91 metres with a 1.9 m/s headwind to claim the gold medal. Her series of attempts was: foul – 12.75 (-1.2) – 13.14 (-1.3) – 13.05 (-2.6) – 13.06 (-0.3) – 13.91 (-1.9). Romania’s Daria Vanceanu finished second with 13.70 meters (+0.3), while Spain’s Ana Estrella de Leon took bronze with 13.58 (-1.4). On July 19, Angelova also won the European U18 title in Rieti, Italy, with a world-leading U18 mark of 13.98 metres for the year. With Angelova’s gold medal, Bulgaria ranks among the top 15 nations at the championships. Sport Konstantin Karagyozov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182401-petr-nesterov-finishes-runner-up-at-challenger-50-in-plovdiv https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182401-petr-nesterov-finishes-runner-up-at-challenger-50-in-plovdiv Sun, 09 Aug 2026 21:34:00 +0300 Bulgaria’s Davis Cup player Petr Nesterov finished runner-up in the singles event at the ATP Challenger 50 tournament in Plovdiv, with a total prize fund of EUR 56,700. The tournament was held on the clay courts of Lokomotiv Tennis Club. Nesterov lost 1-6, 6-7(5) to Italy’s Gabriele Piraino in the final after just over two hours of play. Piraino broke Nesterov in the opening game to take a 2-0 lead, but the Bulgarian immediately responded with a break of his own to make it 2-1. However, Nesterov was unable to hold serve in the fourth game, allowing Piraino to regain the advantage at 3-1. The Italian capitalised on the momentum, breaking again in the sixth game to take the opening set 6-1. The second set began with both players struggling to hold serve. They exchanged two breaks apiece, with the score level at 3-3 after six games. Nesterov then held comfortably to move ahead 4-3, but Piraino responded immediately to level at 4-4. The Italian broke again in the next game, but Nesterov refused to give up. He broke back to prevent Piraino from serving for the match, bringing the score to 5-5. The set remained on serve from there, forcing a tiebreak at 6-6. Piraino took a 4-2 lead in the tiebreak, but Nesterov fought back to move ahead 5-4. The Italian, however, held his nerve at the crucial moment, winning the tiebreak 7-5 to seal the title. For the 23-year-old Bulgarian, this was the first singles final of his career at a Challenger-level tournament. Sport Risida Dimitrova Dimitar Petkov https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182397-five-medals-for-bulgarian-judoka-at-junior-european-cup-in-skopje https://www.bta.bg/en/news/sport/1182397-five-medals-for-bulgarian-judoka-at-junior-european-cup-in-skopje Sun, 09 Aug 2026 21:11:00 +0300 Bulgarian judoka won two more medals at the Skopje Junior European Cup on Sunday, after winning one gold and two bronze medals on Saturday, the Bulgarian Judo Federation reported. Anton Dimitrov claimed bronze in the -90 kg category after defeating Marko Bozic of Croatia in the bronze-medal fight. Dimitrov competed in five matches and recorded four victories. The medal is his second bronze of the season, following his third-place finish in Portugal in March. Nikolа Markov, competing in the +100 kg category, earned the first medal of his career at a competition of this level. After losing his opening fight, Markov fought his way through the repechage with two victories to reach the bronze-medal contest, where he defeated David Tugui of Romania. On Saturday, Nadie Jaafar claimed the title after securing three victories in the women's 70 kg category. Denis Galabov won bronze in the men's 60 kg category in his fight against Turkiye's Necdet Salih Pala. Andrey Ganchev also won bronze in the men's 73 kg category after defeating Belgium's Bjarne Wellekens. The tournament features 317 judoka from 33 countries. Bulgaria is represented by 20 fighters. Sport Risida Dimitrova Iva Krasteva