President Radev Presented Honorary Plaques to Bulgaria’s National Volleyball Team

President Rumen Radev awarded honorary plaques to Bulgaria’s national volleyball team, the coaching staff and the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation at a ceremony in the Coat of Arms Hall at the Presidency on October 1

The event marked the team’s silver medal and outstanding performance at the World Championship in the Philippines.

The volleyball heroes were first welcomed at Istanbul Airport by a special delegation, which brought them home on the government aircraft.

photo by BTA

The triumphant celebrations continued on Bulgarian soil, as the national team arrived in an open-top bus before the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, greeted by applause and chants of “Bulgaria, heroes!”.

At the official ceremony honouring the silver medallists, President Radev said:

"I will not address you as 'boys'. You were boys when you came here two years ago after winning bronze (at the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's U21 World Championship) in Qatar. Today, in the Coat of Arms Hall, you stand as worthy Bulgarian men who have taken on the responsibility of defending the honour of their homeland. Two years ago, I told you that you were a ray of hope for Bulgarian sport. Today, I can say that you are the ray of hope that the whole of Bulgaria needed. What you have achieved is much more than a sporting triumph."

Team captain Aleks Grozdanov expressed gratitude:

“Thank you for all the support we received and for the opportunity to defend the honour of our wonderful country. We are proud to carry the flag and I am certain we will continue to work in this way.”

Lubo Ganev, President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, added:

“We are immensely proud to be here before you, to have united Bulgaria, to have brought people to the squares and streets, and to have given everyone the chance to witness these successes we achieved for you, for Bulgaria. I assure you we will continue to do so, and I hope you will see us here more often, bringing you reasons to rejoice.”