127 Bulgarian Athletes to Compete at First European Games in Baku

A total of 127 Bulgarian athletes (60 women and 67 men) will represent the country at the First European Games, which will be held in Baku between June 12 and 28.

Bulgarian representatives will compete in 23 out of the 30 sports, which are featured in the games, daily Dnevnik reports.

Bulgaria will participate in archery, badminton, beach volleyball, diving, fencing, gymnastics, judo, karate, sambo, shooting, swimming, synchronised swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, trampoline, triathlon, volleyball (women and men) and wrestling.

The sport shooter Maria Grozdeva, who is the Bulgarian holding the record for most Olympic Games medals - five, including two gold medals, will be part of the Bulgarian team.

Among the Bulgarian athletes are also wrestler Stanka Zlateva, badminton player Petya Nedelcheva, world and European champions in wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics and sambo.

The President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) Stefka Kostadinova said that in terms of numbers, the Bulgarian athletes were close to the teams representing the country at the two most successful Olympic Games for Bulgaria.

Kostadinova expressed hope that the performance of Bulgarians at the European Games will come close to the achievements recorded at the Olympic Games in Seoul and Barcelona.

Bulgaria's Sports Ministry provided the funding for all athletes, who are going to participate at the European Games.